This week, we’re throwing back to the Taylor (Tay) Flats Fire of 1967. On August 16, at 2:37 pm the fire was accidentally started by a road construction crew. It was sparked during an abnormally long dry spell, and winds were blowing at 50 km/hr. Extreme heat, rugged terrain, and heavy smoke challenged fire suppression efforts. Up to 478 Forest Service personnel and firefighters, employees of MacMillan Bloedel Ltd. and the road construction crew worked on the fire. The fire was approximately 6 km west of the Taylor River Bridge and was moving rapidly eastward towards the town of Port Alberni, where there were concerns that the town would have to be evacuated. When the fire finally ebbed at the beginning of September there were 35 miles of hose to pick up and 2,600 hectares of land to be assessed. The soil was extremely damaged and despite the area being continuously reforested, areas where the land is too unstable to replant remain. These unstable hillsides may require hundreds of years to stabilize. As with every person-caused fire, this fire was preventable. Always remember to be safe and use your fire sense. #throwbackthursday. *Special thanks to Raymond Buck and Family for providing these photos.
Posted on: Thu, 06 Nov 2014 22:06:09 +0000
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