Rancher calls for more resources to battle B.C.'s massive wildfires

Vancouver -

It has been “unnerving.”

That’s how rancher Chris Haywood-Farmer describes a summer of witnessing wildfires burn nearby.

“The fire has had a massive impact on our ranch,” he said.

Haywood-Farmer, who lives close to Savona, B.C., estimates 80 per cent of the range land for his cattle has been lost, with fires forcing him to keep moving his herd.

Despite the ranch’s efforts, more than 60 animals have died.

“We’ve had the terrible misfortunate of being affected by both the Sparks Lake fire and the Tremont (Creek) fire this year,” he explained.

The raging Tremont Creek fire is the same one that threatened nearby Logan Lake.

That’s where the premier visited Friday to thank fire crews who helped the town escape damage.

“To come to an interface fire as we experienced here just outside of Logan Lake, to do the hard work, to put yourself on the line to protect people and property is quite extraordinary,” Premier John Horgan said at a news conference.

He is promising to look at every tool at the province’s disposal next year.

“The budget process we’re engaged in right now ... will have at its centre to make sure we’re better prepared, as best prepared as we can be for the fire seasons that are coming,” Horgan said.

But Haywood-Farmer – who has documented this wildfire season on his YouTube channel “The Range” – says more needs to be done now.

“It is kind of frustrating to see such small crews given the responsibility to battle these massive fires with limited resources,” he said.

“You’re getting two opposite answers from the people on the ground saying we don’t have the resources to do things properly and from the higher ups who say we’ve got plenty and it’s not a problem.”

The premier says the 2021 wildfire season has been one of the most difficult to date and that staff have worked hard to make sure the BC Wildfire Service gets the resources requested.

“We’ve been throwing everything we’ve got at these fires and pulling in resources from around the globe,” he said.

Haywood-Farmer says he worked alongside wildfire crews as they fought the flames.

He believes the province should start working with local ranchers and loggers and consider them as allies in the battle against B.C.’s wildfires.

Meanwhile, he worries about what will happen to his livelihood.

“With the destruction of the range, there’s so much uncertainty coming for the following years as to the severity of the burn and how much usable grass there’s going to be for us for next year,” he explained.