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Lightning storm strands hundreds

Five fires still burning in corridor from weekend strikes
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Hundreds of guests were stranded at the top of Whistler and Blackcomb Saturday during an explosive lightning storm.

When lightning storms move through the mountains it is normal protocol, said Whistler Blackcomb's Doug MacFarlane, to move guests to a safe location and then shut down the lifts.

On Saturday, since the storm lasted over four hours, guests spent longer than usual at the top of the mountain.

"We take care of them very well when they are stranded like that," said MacFarlane.

Guests were also offered rides down the mountains in trucks and vans if they needed to return to the valley.

Hundreds took advantage of that, said MacFarlane, adding that it was an especially busy night thanks to the Chill on the Hill concert.

"It would have been a great show," said MacFarlane of the lightning storm, which saw hundreds of electric jolts reach down to the earth looking for a terrestrial streamer to link up with.

With the extreme heat of the last week turning already-dry forests into potential kindling, Whistler Blackcomb is keeping a close eye on the fire situation. Blackcomb Helicopters has been contracted to do a fly over at the end of every day to make sure no fires are burning. People are banned from smoking on the mountains and sprinklers are on all over.

More thunderstorms are predicted for this weekend, which could mean more shutdowns on Whistler and Blackcomb.

It is estimated that more than 300 lightning strikes took place last weekend, with 28 fires lit up in the corridor. Most were extinguished quickly, but five continue to burn.

The largest of these is at 1,100 metres in the Copper Meadows area near Pemberton.

The fire flared up on Monday night and initial estimates pegged the fire at 391 hectares on Tuesday. New information suggests it is actually 190 hectares, though it did grow overnight, said Fire Information Officer Mike McCulley.

"It was tough to map with smoke yesterday," he said, adding that there are 20 ground crews working on the fire and several air tankers taking it on.

"Right now there's no homes or structures imminently threatened," McCulley said.

The other four fires are all at high elevation. One is in the Mamquam area, one along the West Hurley Forest Service Road, one in the Camel Hump area and one on Mount Currie. All are spot fires.

McCulley said the Camel Hump fire is actually two small fires but one of them is in "mop up" status, which means the fire is contained.

"Generally we have a good feeling about all of them," said Colette Fauchon, also a fire information officer.

"Unfortunately the weather is not helping us, but fortunately the wind has not picked up because of the heat. The main fire we are concerned with is the Copper Meadows one because of its size and it is just spreading laterally across the mountain."

The Pemberton fire base has 16 helicopters and helitankers, and 50 fire fighters on site.

The largest fire in the region is on McLean Mountain outside of Lillooet, which on Tuesday afternoon had raged through 1,059 hectares and was uncontained. Residents of the North shore of Seton Lake from Retaskit to Puck Creek area have been ordered evacuated. Residents of Seton Portage and Shalalth have been put on evacuation alert.

"If the fire moves up that way we want everyone to be prepared to move if they have to," fire information officer Randy Frank said Tuesday.

"The officers are up there today telling them just how serious the situation is and making sure everyone is aware of what we are doing and all the preparations that are happening."

The fire is challenging to fight as it is on very steep terrain, there is no road access, the temperature is high, the humidity is low and winds are gusting.

Resources onsite include 53 fire fighters, 40 support personnel, 17 structural protection staff, nine pieces of heavy equipment and 15 helicopters.

For evacuation order information call 1-800-298-7753.

 To report smoke and flames call toll-free 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on most cellular networks.

Due to the increasing fire danger and until further notice the campfire ban is extended throughout the entire Coastal Fire Centre region. The Coastal Fire Centre covers all the area west of the height of land on the Coast Mountain range from the U.S./Canada border at Manning Park to Tweedsmuir Park in the north, the Lower Mainland, the Sunshine Coast, all of Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands.

This ban does not restrict fires in stoves using gas, propane, or briquettes. This restriction does apply to open flame campfire apparatus (i.e. propane campfires, etc.).

Fireworks and pyrotechnics are also banned.

 

W/B monitors lightning storms closely

Lightning bolts are hotter than the surface of the sun and the shock waves they send out when they hit can devastate objects and people.

Whistler Blackcomb monitors lightning storms closely. A computer system that tracks them around the province is monitored, along with daily weather reports. If a storm begins to move this way plans to deal with the impact kick into gear, with staged responses if it moves closer.

If a storm stays 100 kilometres away, its existence is noted, monitored, and staff on the mountains is told a storm might be coming.

“When it gets around 60 kilometres away we are beginning to think about potential shutdowns,” said Whistler Blackcomb’s Doug MacFarlane.

“It is all to do with safety. When it is 30 to 40 kilometres away and coming at us that is when we will make a decision about closure.”
At that point MacFarlane will send people out to other valley locations to watch the storm and help track it.

“You can’t leave (the decision to shut down) too late but you can get stung as sometimes the storm accelerates and other times it dissipates,” he said.

“It is not an exact science, but certainly a lot of effort goes into watching it and monitoring it and we watch it a lot more intensely than most people realize.”

Storm watching is a “very stressful part of our operation because it is an inexact science.”

With thunderstorms predicted this weekend more shutdowns may take place.

“Our job really is to get people back to a safe area,” said MacFarlane.

“If we can get you off the mountain in a timely manner we will do that….

“(Being stuck at the top) may be an inconvenience… but at least you are safe.”