West Kelowna fire chief says L.A. devastation a haunting reminder of B.C. blaze

The fire chief of a British Columbia community devastated by a fast-moving wildfire in 2023 says it's "haunting" to see similar circumstances playing out in Southern California.

Jason Brolund, the fire chief in West Kelowna, B.C., says the images from the Los Angeles area — where flames have torn through thousands of homes over the past week — are so familiar and vivid that some of his firefighters won't look at them.

West Kelowna bore the brunt of the McDougall Creek fire in August 2023, when it descended on neighbourhoods surrounding Okanagan Lake and destroyed or damaged almost 200 properties.

In Southern California, flames fanned by high winds have devastated communities including Pacific Palisades and Pasadena, spreading in a manner similar to what West Kelowna encountered in 2023.

Brolund says the fires are an important reminder that communities must be proactive about the risks of large wildfires near urban areas as climate change triggers more blazes.

He says West Kelowna firefighters are also keeping a close eye on the strategies and technologies deployed in the L.A. fight, such as extensive nighttime aerial firefighting capabilities that would benefit B.C.'s own battle against future wildfires.

"We watch California closely," Brolund says. "We have for many years. They are considered a bellwether — what they are experiencing now, potentially five to 10 years (from) now, could be something that we see in our region.

"Their strategies, tactics and technology, things that they're using on the ground today to fight those fires, are things that we hope to see here."

Brolund says his department has been asking for nighttime aerial firefighting capabilities since the 2023 fires, and the province has "taken the first steps" toward providing that capability.

The BC Wildfire Service says two contracted helicopters were equipped to fly with night-vision technology in 2024 and were integrated into operations in July.

The night-vision technology was mainly used for reconnaissance, detection and mapping, although nighttime waterbombing was also performed "on a few select wildfires."

Brolund says the images from California cause memories of West Kelowna's own ordeal to resurface, including the thoughts that raced through his head as the flames roared into residential neighbourhoods in August 2023.

"It's incredibly disturbing to watch," Brolund says of the images from L.A. "Seeing it again takes you right back to that night. Now, though, we're able to think about a lot of the things that we didn't have time to think about when we were in the heat of the battle.

"You don't think about how close you came to things until after it's happened, and that — in a lot of cases — makes it even more difficult."

On Friday, B.C. Premier David Eby said California's Department of Forestry and Fire Protection had asked the province "for a senior management team from BC Wildfire Service," and that team would be leaving for the U.S. "imminently."

Eby also said B.C. was "working to send groundcrews as part of a national response."

"California has been there for us, we will be there for them," Eby said in a statement posted on social media platform X. "That’s what good neighbours do."

Brolund says he can't confirm if West Kelowna firefighters have been asked to join the firefight in Los Angeles, but his team is "in the early stages of being prepared for that."

He says 50 fire engines from 30 different fire departments came to the aid of West Kelowna in 2023, and his department wants to "do our best to support our neighbours."

Brolund urged Canadians to be prepared for emergencies.

"As horrible as it is, this fire has been a great illustration of the importance of having an emergency plan as a family, knowing what would you do if you had to leave your home and evacuate quickly," he says. "What would you bring with you? How would you reunite with your family? Having that plan done in advance can make a world of difference.

"Even though across Canada we're experiencing winter right now and wildfire is not necessarily front of mind, this event has brought it front of mind."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 11, 2025.