While not ready to leave, Jay Simpson said he and fellow North Shuswap citizens who continue fighting fires are tired and want help.

sa国际传媒淎t this point, wesa国际传媒檙e bagged, wesa国际传媒檝e been working 2o-hour days in more dangerous situations and so much smoke. Isa国际传媒檝e got nothing but so much respect for people who are out there stomping on fires,sa国际传媒� said Simpson, the Electoral Area F director with the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD).

Simpson and others continue to defy a CSRD evacuation order thatsa国际传媒檚 been in place since Friday, Aug. 18, when whatsa国际传媒檚 now referred to as the Bush Creek East wildfire spread into the communities of Lee Creek, Scotch Creek and Celista.

sa国际传媒淚sa国际传媒檓 the epitome of civil disobedience right now, because I did not follow the order to departsa国际传媒� I stayed behind and fought the fires to save my home, my neighbours, my communitysa国际传媒�,sa国际传媒� said Simpson, frustrated that authorities are preventing things like bottled water, food and fuel for generators from reaching citizens fighting fires in the evacuation order areas.

sa国际传媒淭here are fuel suppliers out there that would just love to stop in and help us, but theysa国际传媒檙e being piloted through so nobody gets off the road, nobody stops and drops off some fuel, nobody does anything. We cansa国际传媒檛 get a hot dog in here. We cansa国际传媒檛 get a bottle of water in heresa国际传媒� wesa国际传媒檙e just cut right off.sa国际传媒�

The CSRD continues to urge citizens to vacate the evacuation order areas, for their safety and the safety of firefighters.

sa国际传媒淭he message that I want to provide to the community is there are enough resources on this fire to actively engage whatever comes at them, and if there arensa国际传媒檛 enough resources, we have resources waiting to go into the communities to deal with this,sa国际传媒� said Shuswap Emergency Program emergency operations director Derek Sutherland in an afternoon Aug. 22 update. sa国际传媒淪o community members can feel safe and secure that there are firefighters to deal with any issues that arise on their property if and when they choose to evacuate.sa国际传媒�

With lingering hot spots, flare ups and more, Simpson agreed itsa国际传媒檚 not a safe situation to be working in.

sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 not a safe thing to be doing, but on the other hand we are saving our homes, our communities,sa国际传媒� he said, acknowledging help is needed.

Simpson said he took part in a meeting Tuesday (Aug. 22) between locals and BC Wildfire Service personnel, during which a collaborative approach was discussed.

sa国际传媒淭hey came out and sat down at our kitchen table, two of them, a couple of us, and they talked about how the backburn went and what they did and how we can work together, and wesa国际传媒檙e working towards that,sa国际传媒� said Simpson. sa国际传媒淥ur contractors out here with big heavy machinery, wesa国际传媒檙e getting them registered with BC Wildfire so we can work in conjunction with them.

sa国际传媒淲e want this cooperation sa国际传媒� itsa国际传媒檚 critical. We cannot do this ourselves. We cannot save our communities all by ourselves. Wesa国际传媒檝e taken the first three days of utter chaos and done what we could to save as much as we could, but itsa国际传媒檚 a long game, itsa国际传媒檚 going to be months, two months sa国际传媒� until the snow flies.sa国际传媒�

BC Wildfire Service information officer Forrest Tower said such collaborations are not uncommon, that theresa国际传媒檚 a successful one working the Rossmore Lake wildfire near Kamloops.

sa国际传媒淲esa国际传媒檝e had community members from Knutsford thatsa国际传媒檚 engaged on that fire since July,sa国际传媒� said Tower. sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e folded into our operations, some of them have actually signed up with us as emergency firefighters, a large number of them have not, theysa国际传媒檙e still volunteer status. But we have a good organizational structure there, theresa国际传媒檚 clear lines of communication, theresa国际传媒檚 check-ins happeningsa国际传媒� So it can work, we just really have to work towards some good operational oversight and at this point, the BC Wildfire Service provides that operational oversight.

sa国际传媒淔olding community members into that whenever possible will be a lot more efficient than everyone kind of running around doing their own thing, which is both unsafe and also not efficient. It just makes things take much longer.sa国际传媒�

Tower, acknowledging the good work being done in the North Shuswap, believes better communication is needed to ease tensions and remind people theysa国际传媒檙e working towards the same goals.

sa国际传媒淚 think theresa国际传媒檚 this sense that because theresa国际传媒檚 RCMP blockages and an evacuation order and supplies arensa国际传媒檛 getting in, that government is working against people,sa国际传媒� said Tower. sa国际传媒淩eally, all that has to happen is if there are individuals who do have those skills and wants to put them to use, and theysa国际传媒檙e willing to work in an organized manner under direction sa国际传媒� usually by someone with the BC Wildfire Service, they just have to reach out.sa国际传媒�

Simpson said they were told by the BCWS that it needs locals sa国际传媒� their expertise, equipment and knowledge of the area.

sa国际传媒淚 just had a guy from Magna Bay text me a photo of a fire thatsa国际传媒檚 burning in a steep area sa国际传媒� he gave me a pin of the location, told me there was nobody in the area, so I sent that off to BC Wildfire and they sent it off to their operations people,sa国际传媒� said Simpson. sa国际传媒淪o locals on the ground being able to help BC Wildfire identify areas of concern and areas of large fires, flamessa国际传媒�

sa国际传媒淭hey were in and put about four hours in dual helicopters into the Lee Creek Gorge and Isa国际传媒檓 sure that will save a bunch of houses that are downstream of that area. So we love the collaboration, wesa国际传媒檇 love to have them here.sa国际传媒�

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