Richmond’s wild land fire near Westminster Highway and Shell Road is still burning as crews continue the fight to extinguish one week after it was discovered.
The fire has been 100 per cent contained for most of the week according to the City of Richmond and, as of Thursday evening, Richmond Fire-Rescue reopened Shell Rd between Westminster Highway and Alderbridge Way. A perimeter with 250 sprinklers has also been running 24/7.
FIRE UPDATE: #RichmondFireRescue reopened Shell Rd (between Westminster Hwy & Alderbridge Way). The wild land fire on DND land continues to burn, but remains 100% contained & 100% confidence rate. Avoid the area if possible as it's an active wild fire & work site. #RichmondBC pic.twitter.com/SA39axXglZ
— Richmond, BC Alerts (@RichmondBCAlert) August 3, 2018
A photo posted to Twitter by Wayne Morecombe, who is a pilot, shows just how significant the damage has been on the Department of National Defence lands, where the stubborn fire has been burning down into the peat making it a challenge to put out completely.
And as the fire suppression efforts continue, it seems some people are still trying to access the site, despite the dangerous environment with crews asking the public to "Avoid the area if possible as it's an active wild fire & work site."
Mayor Malcolm Brodie expressed his gratitude to the crews working to extinguish the fire on Twitter, calling it “a first rate co-ordinated effort.”
We are very grateful to all those who helped with the fire response on the DND lands. Thanks to the dedicated men and women of Richmond Fire Rescue together with provincial fire crews, rcmp, air crews and other first responders. A first rate co-ordinated effort. https://t.co/SZwqEv8OUI
— Malcolm Brodie (@malcolmbrodie) July 28, 2018
Multiple aircrafts dumping water, military personnel, RCMP, Fire-Rescue and excavators have all been on scene at various points to help combat the blaze which on-the-ground crews described as “stubborn,” particularly due to its hard-to-reach location.
