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Despite being a local fire warden for 26 years, Matt Dobler hasn香蕉视频直播檛 been called to a wildfire once this year.

It wasn香蕉视频直播檛 until well into the Christie Mountain fire, visible from his back door, that that the 64-year-old received a call from BC Wildfire; only to be told that he wouldn香蕉视频直播檛 be needed this year.

香蕉视频直播淚t was about a week after the fire was burning, and they called and told me, 香蕉视频直播楲isten, this is how it is, we香蕉视频直播檙e not going to use you guys this year,香蕉视频直播櫹憬妒悠抵辈�� said Dobler. 香蕉视频直播淭hey could have simply come out at the start and told us this.香蕉视频直播�

That is after being told he was required to insure a second truck for his team, to help them spread out due to COVID-19.

香蕉视频直播淲hen they called us this year, it was all about COVID, and making sure everything was done properly,香蕉视频直播� said Dobler. 香蕉视频直播淪ome of my guys leave their summer jobs so they can do this, never got one hour this year.香蕉视频直播�

Dobler is one of four fire wardens in the Okanagan, with two more in Osoyoos and one in Kelowna. Together, the four have over 100 years of wildfire-fighting experience between them, not including their crews. It香蕉视频直播檚 a far cry from the dozen or so in the region they once had, fighting fires like the Okanagan Mountain Park Fire of 2003.

Dobler and the other fire wardens had been one of the early groups on the 2003 fire, crossing the lake from Antler Beach in a zodiac and building a fireguard to the top of the mountain with pulaskis, a fire-fighting axe, and mattocks. Despite the brutal conditions that year, and his own personal struggles, Dobler was ready and willing to fight that fire until it was finally extinguished.

香蕉视频直播淲e were up there a month and a half, sometimes 16 hours a day,香蕉视频直播� said Dobler. 香蕉视频直播淲hen that fire started, I was going through chemo, and I stopped my chemo so I could go help out on that fire.香蕉视频直播�

In previous years, the fire wardens would be the first few groups called in to follow after the initial attack teams had established a fire line. Dobler and the other three fire wardens in the Okanagan are the last of their kind in the province, the only Fire Warden A香蕉视频直播檚, with their crews. The fire wardens would then often be the last crews at the scenes, mopping up what remained while the initial attack teams moved on to the next major blaze.

香蕉视频直播淚n previous years, they香蕉视频直播檇 call us and tell us that we香蕉视频直播檇 have 15 minutes to get ready, and I香蕉视频直播檇 call my crew and away we香蕉视频直播檇 go,香蕉视频直播� said Dobler.

Instead, this year Dobler had to sit and watch as out-of-town fire crews arrived to battle the Christie Mountain blaze, and then clean up what was left, for a much higher price.

香蕉视频直播淚 let it go for a while, but when it got down to the mop-up stage like it is now, there香蕉视频直播檚 absolutely no reason for these guys to be in town, especially with COVID,香蕉视频直播� said Dobler. 香蕉视频直播淵ou have to feed these guys, and house them, and they香蕉视频直播檙e still here, why? Everything that香蕉视频直播檚 burning now up on that hill is inside the perimeter, in some areas where they can香蕉视频直播檛 even get to, why are they here? They香蕉视频直播檙e just sitting there watching the interior of the fire burn.香蕉视频直播�

After a quiet fire season last year, Dobler had been ready to retire from being a warden but stayed on standby after COVID-19 struck. After this year, he香蕉视频直播檚 made the decision not to come back. It香蕉视频直播檚 not the end that he wished, if not for him, then for the other fire wardens.

香蕉视频直播淭hey just showed no respect for the people that have been there for the last 30 years,香蕉视频直播� said Dobler. 香蕉视频直播淚 don香蕉视频直播檛 know what to say. It香蕉视频直播檚 just the way the did it that upsets me.香蕉视频直播�

Dobler has already sold his truck, and he香蕉视频直播檚 in process of selling off his equipment. That includes shovels, hundreds of feet of hoses, a water tank and pump, and every other piece of gear that he assembled over his 26 years of service at his own cost. This year, that included hand sanitizer and masks as well.

香蕉视频直播淪oon as they called, I uninsured my truck, unloaded my truck, now I香蕉视频直播檓 in the process of selling all my gear,香蕉视频直播� said Dobler.

Dobler and his crew of eight also underwent the yearly review course, which they each had to pay for themselves, as well as a course on COVID-19 precautions ahead of this year香蕉视频直播檚 fire season.

According to BC Wildfire, the reason why Dobler香蕉视频直播檚 crew wasn香蕉视频直播檛 called in was a matter of the contract the provincial government currently has in place.

香蕉视频直播淪o when we respond to a wildfire, we will first assign our BC Wildfire Service firefighters regardless of their location in the province,香蕉视频直播� said Kyla Fraser, an information officer with BC Wildfire. 香蕉视频直播淭hen to type two contract crews and type three contract crews. Once we香蕉视频直播檝e exhausted all those resources will we able to hire on emergency firefighters such as the fire wardens in Penticton.香蕉视频直播�

Per the current policy, BC Wildfire isn香蕉视频直播檛 able to utilize teams like the fire wardens before they run through their list of contractors and using them first.

香蕉视频直播淓ssentially it is a contract that has been made on behalf of larger government,香蕉视频直播� said Fraser. 香蕉视频直播淚t is not actually a decision that has been put in place by BC Wildfire or the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development.香蕉视频直播�

At the end of the day, fighting fires was never about money for Dobler.

香蕉视频直播淚t was more doing it for my community than anything else. I worked a lot of extra hours so I could take the time off for a fire. It was our community service.香蕉视频直播�

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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