Members of First Nations community douse wildfire

By The Canadian Press  February 6, 2017  

Headlines News

Feb. 6, 2017, Bella Bella, B.C. - The chief of a village near British Columbia's Great Bear Rainforest says members of the First Nations community fought a wildfire on their own this weekend after they were unable to get help from provincial government agencies.

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Heiltsuk Chief Marilyn Slett says the fire broke out late Friday on a hillside across from Bella Bella in an area where several power lines are located.

She says the First Nation was still waiting for a response after spending the weekend trying to contact BC Wildfire, Provincial Emergency Preparedness and Boralex, which operates the power lines.

In an emailed statement, Boralex spokeswoman Lauriane Dery says the flames had been contained by Sunday night and the company hopes to restore power Monday.

Dery says the cause of the fire was unknown, but it followed an electrical failure on the transmission line during a wind storm Friday night.

The BC Wildfire Service said in a news release Monday that a response officer would be sent to the scene.