B.C. Wildfire Service has now set up a fire camp site at Babine Road in Burns Lake on July 19. Burns Lake residents questioned why the fire fighters had to sleep in tents rather then be set up in a space like the Canadian Armed Forces are at the LDSS gym? Jessica McDiarmid from the Northwest Fire Centre said, “In short, we’ve got close to 400 people here now, and the numbers can increase and decrease rapidly to respond to changing situations, so a location like the fire camp allows us to easily scale up as needed without interfering with communities trying to go about their daily business. And, as wildfire situations can change very quickly, having the capacity to be self sufficient and dynamic means we can respond more quickly and efficiently in any region without having to rely upon local communities, many of which wouldn’t have the capacity to host these kind of numbers. The camps are equipped with kitchens that provide meals, showers, bathrooms, covered dining and meeting areas, wifi, and all staff are provided tents, sleeping pads, sleeping bags, etc.” (Saddman Zaman/Lakes District News photos)