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it’s time for a little warm, Delta blues. see Page A15
friDay
August 2 2013 www.burnabynewsleader.com
Main city link shut this weekend Willingdon overpass partially closed as part of Hwy 1 project Mario Bartel
mbartel@burnabynewslead.ercom
MARIO BARtEL/NEWsLEADER
Hugh Rose, Captain Derek Masaro, Jason Fahl and Scott Alleyn are part of the Burnaby Fire Department’s crew at No. 7 Hall that is deployed to fight bush and brush fires. Some of their specialized equipment includes a wildland pack that carries up to 50 foot lengths of 5/8” hose plus couplers and nozzles, and a wildland pumper truck that can douse a fire with special suffocating foam.
Dry weather has fire crews on alert Mario Bartel
photo@burnabynewsleader.com
Darrell Smith loves the sunny dry weather. But when he’s on duty as the assistant chief for the Burnaby fire department, he casts one eye on the forecast and knocks on wood with his knuckle. “All things considered, it hasn’t been as bad as I thought it was going to be,” said Smith. As of Wednesday, it hadn’t rained at Vancouver International Airport in 34 days. And while that’s well
short of the record dry spell of 58 days set in the summer of 1951, the more than 390 hours of sunshine through late June and all of July have left Burnaby’s grasses, parks and forests tinder dry. It’s ideal conditions for a carelessly discarded cigarette butt, perfectly placed shard of glass or random lightning bolt to spark a brush or wildfire. Even the hot muffler beneath a car parked in tall, dry grass can be a firestarter, said Smith. Luckily, his department has only had to deal with the odd spot
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fire along a railway right of way, including three in an industrial area near Brentwood last Friday. Smith credits the lack of fires to greater public awareness. But if that vigilance falters, or bad luck ignites a bush blaze, Smith said his crews are more than up to the task. “We’re ready for anything,” said Smith. “Our guys are well-trained, they’re ready to respond.” Part of the training includes firefighters with previous experience battling forest fires.
“We want to use our strengths,” said Smith. They’re stationed at Hall 7, at Canada Way and Gilmore, where specialized equipment is ready to roll into action. That equipment is comprised of a 4X4 hooked to a trailer carrying a six-wheeled all-terrain vehicle that can carry firefighters and gear into areas inaccessible by trucks, where they can pump special foam onto burning vegetation to suffocate the flames.
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Construction work on Highway 1 and the Willingdon overpass this weekend means drivers will have to find alternate ways to get between north and south Burnaby. The overpass itself will be closed to northbound traffic between Canada Way and Still Creek Avenue from 9 p.m. Friday until 5 a.m. Tuesday. Southbound traffic will be restricted to one lane. Drivers are advised to take Gilmore Diversion or Douglas Road. The eastbound exit from Highway 1 to Willingdon will also be closed. Instead drivers are advised to exit at Boundary Road or Sprott Street. Drivers wishing to access the eastbound Highway 1 are advised to use Grandview Highway or the Kensington exit. The closures will allow crews to continue their work on the new Willingdon interchange. The Port Mann/ Highway 1 Improvement Project aims to significantly reduce congestion and travel times on Highway 1.