How grass and sage brush fires compare to forest fires

KAMLOOPS – Fighting wildfires isn't as simple as extinguishing the flames and heading home — different types fires create different challenges for crews.

Gracie Wilson is a provincial fire crew member, and was part of the initial attack crew when the East Shuswap Road fire broke out in Kamloops nearly two weeks ago. That area has plenty of grass and sagebrush, but not many trees, and Wilson said this impacted how firefighters dealt with the blaze.

Wilson says when crews arrived at the fire, it was roughly 20 hectares, but by the time they found an access point to begin battling it had spread to roughly 100 hectares.

"It's more difficult because (grass fires) burn a lot faster," she says. "The most challenging thing is to beat how fast the fire is."

It's common with grass fires — they start out as fast-spreading and slightly unpredictable, but Wilson says once crews can catch the edges of it, they're easier to control than forest fires. She adds that grass fires are easier to put out, but harder to catch at first.

When it comes to forest fires, there is the added risk of candling trees. With just a quick gust of wind, a tree on fire can spark and spread elsewhere, creating more challenges for crews.

Where the two types of fires become similar again is when crews attempt to fully extinguish. Both sagebrush and trees can and usually do burn underground even after the surface-level fire is essentially out. In this case, crews have to dig hand guards and drop fire retardant to prevent any potential spreading.

The mop up phase of a fire is one of the most difficult tasks, Wilson says. It's when nearly everything is out, but crews have to perform gruelling work in order to fully extinguish the area. This includes endless digging on hot summer days, and in difficult terrain.

"Physically dealing with the heat is very exhausting," Wilson says, adding that this is the most important part of firefighting because if the blaze isn't fully out underground, it can undo all the hard work crews did to put it out.

Things like wind and steep terrain during any fire can make it especially difficult for ground crews, but Wilson says the fortunate thing about grass fires is they were almost 'made to burn' and in many cases it can actually help the ecosystem.

To contact a reporter for this story, email Ashley Legassic or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to the newsroom and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.