Aerial assault on wildfire

AIR TRANSPORT: A helicopter is seen taking bucketloads of water from Loch Leven to the fire site on the northern side of the park's Central Block on Saturday morning.

The blades of a helicopter thrummed at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park over the weekend as firefighters battled a blaze near an abandoned boy scouts’ camp.
The chopper made repeated trips to the fire site on the northern part of Central Block, carrying bucketloads of water from Loch Leven.
Every few minutes, a bucket was lowered by a cable from the helicopter into the loch. To those watching from afar, the amount of water being scooped looked small. The bucket, however, could reportedly carry up to 500 gallons of water.
Water bombers also joined the aerial assault, dropping retardant on the burn area to help ground crews.
According to initial reports, the fire covered an area of about five hectares.
It broke out on a Labour Day weekend that saw temperatures soar into the high 30s. Tinder-dry conditions and an incessant wind had increased the danger of wildfires, which can be caused by anything from a casually discarded cigarette and a piece of broken glass to vehicle chains dragging along tarmac, causing sparks.
Crews from Maple Creek Community Fire Department and the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency base at the park were helped by a stream of volunteers, including ranchers, while The RM of Maple Creek offered the use of its water truck.
The chopper bearing the name Helicopter Transport Services and number 203 367, had been at the park for several weeks, making patrols from the SPSA base.
The fire was soon contained, but crews remained on high alert through the holiday weekend, dealing with stubborn hotspots.
When the News-Times arrived on Saturday morning to cover a series of races known as “Cypress Hills Trail Challenge”, groups of runners were gathered around on the kerbside and grass embankment outside the park visitor centre and Lakeview Grill. The first event, a 21-kilometre race, was due to start at 9am, but it was clear that plans had gone awry.
Organizers, André and Kelsey Delorme, set up in front of the visitor centre, informed people that the morning races had been cancelled after talks with the park manager and fire chief.
Word quickly filtered out that the wildfire had spread to trails for the 21k and 10k events.
“We will know more at 2.30pm, when we receive an update,” said Kelsey, who lives in Medicine Hat.
People seemed unsure what to do, whether to linger and enjoy facilities at the park, or go. Some held up cellphones to photograph the helicopter buzzing overhead against the azure sky; water spilling from the sides of the bucket descended in a fine spray.
Several competitors decided to go jogging around Loch Leven. They were repeatedly passed by a group of young cyclists, apparently members of a club, also circling the lake.
Families going for a stroll, couples walking dogs, and a packed patio at the Lakeview Grill, overlooking Loch Leven, were other sights of normality that were at odds with the strangeness of the day.
By noon, the wildfire was said to be under control, with crews working on hotspots.
As firefighters continued to tamp down on smouldering areas, restrictions remained in place.
The public had been advised to stay off Loch Leven while the helicopter made repeated sorties between the lake and the fire site.
People were also asked to keep off hiking trails and the area around the swimming pool being used for water trucks to fill up from a fire hydrant.
A park ranger kept the main parking lot near the entrance clear of motorists. When the News-Times arrived, trucks from the park fire base and the RM of Maple Creek pulled in to fill up.
Susan Burton, whose husband Wayne is a deputy Maple Creek fire chief, helped firefighters access the hydrant.
Meanwhile, roads to Bald Butte, Look Out Point and “Mickey Mouse Hills” were closed.
Tyler Hansen, Maple Creek-based conservation officer, directed traffic away from a rough track leading to the fire scene.
For Royce Pettyjohn, park manager, the weekend was understandably hectic.
Late on Saturday morning, he spoke briefly to the News-Times in the foyer of the administration office.
He said it was too early to talk about a cause of the fire. An investigation would occur once the area was declared safe.
On Sunday morning, Pettyjohn reported that hotspots were still smouldering.
He said the park fire base monitored the scene over night and in the morning resumed damping down hotspots with the help of Maple Creek Fire Community Department.
In a Facebook post, he said: “Air bombers will be back again throughout the day to drop additional fire retardant to aid with smothering hotspots.
“Helicopter bucketing will continue from Loch Leven off and on throughout the day (so please remain in designated swimming area and stay off the lake with watercraft).
“All trails and roads north of Valley Trail Road (also known as Mickey Mouse Hills Road) remain closed (including Lynx, Boiler Creek, Lodgepole, and Whispering Pines trails). Valley Trail Road remains closed. All roads to Bald Butte and Look Out Point remain closed. The east and west sections of the Trans-Canada Trail remain closed.
“Trucks will continue to fill with water at the pool parking lot, so please keep that area clear (parking is available behind the pool). Other than these restrictions it will be business at usual within the park today.”

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