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

91裸聊视频淎t this point, we91裸聊视频檙e bagged, we91裸聊视频檝e been working 2o-hour days in more dangerous situations and so much smoke. I91裸聊视频檝e got nothing but so much respect for people who are out there stomping on fires,91裸聊视频� said Simpson, the Electoral Area F director with the Columbia Shuswap Regional District (CSRD).

Simpson and others continue to defy a CSRD evacuation order that91裸聊视频檚 been in place since Friday, Aug. 18, when what91裸聊视频檚 now referred to as the Bush Creek East wildfire spread into the communities of Lee Creek, Scotch Creek and Celista.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檓 the epitome of civil disobedience right now, because I did not follow the order to depart91裸聊视频� I stayed behind and fought the fires to save my home, my neighbours, my community91裸聊视频�,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淭here are fuel suppliers out there that would just love to stop in and help us, but they91裸聊视频檙e being piloted through so nobody gets off the road, nobody stops and drops off some fuel, nobody does anything. We can91裸聊视频檛 get a hot dog in here. We can91裸聊视频檛 get a bottle of water in here91裸聊视频� we91裸聊视频檙e just cut right off.91裸聊视频�

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

91裸聊视频淭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 aren91裸聊视频檛 enough resources, we have resources waiting to go into the communities to deal with this,91裸聊视频� said Shuswap Emergency Program emergency operations director Derek Sutherland in an afternoon Aug. 22 update. 91裸聊视频淪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.91裸聊视频�

With lingering hot spots, flare ups and more, Simpson agreed it91裸聊视频檚 not a safe situation to be working in.

91裸聊视频淚t91裸聊视频檚 not a safe thing to be doing, but on the other hand we are saving our homes, our communities,91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淭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 we91裸聊视频檙e working towards that,91裸聊视频� said Simpson. 91裸聊视频淥ur contractors out here with big heavy machinery, we91裸聊视频檙e getting them registered with BC Wildfire so we can work in conjunction with them.

91裸聊视频淲e want this cooperation 91裸聊视频� it91裸聊视频檚 critical. We cannot do this ourselves. We cannot save our communities all by ourselves. We91裸聊视频檝e taken the first three days of utter chaos and done what we could to save as much as we could, but it91裸聊视频檚 a long game, it91裸聊视频檚 going to be months, two months 91裸聊视频� until the snow flies.91裸聊视频�

BC Wildfire Service information officer Forrest Tower said such collaborations are not uncommon, that there91裸聊视频檚 a successful one working the Rossmore Lake wildfire near Kamloops.

91裸聊视频淲e91裸聊视频檝e had community members from Knutsford that91裸聊视频檚 engaged on that fire since July,91裸聊视频� said Tower. 91裸聊视频淭hey91裸聊视频檙e folded into our operations, some of them have actually signed up with us as emergency firefighters, a large number of them have not, they91裸聊视频檙e still volunteer status. But we have a good organizational structure there, there91裸聊视频檚 clear lines of communication, there91裸聊视频檚 check-ins happening91裸聊视频� 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.

91裸聊视频淔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.91裸聊视频�

Tower, acknowledging the good work being done in the North Shuswap, believes better communication is needed to ease tensions and remind people they91裸聊视频檙e working towards the same goals.

91裸聊视频淚 think there91裸聊视频檚 this sense that because there91裸聊视频檚 RCMP blockages and an evacuation order and supplies aren91裸聊视频檛 getting in, that government is working against people,91裸聊视频� said Tower. 91裸聊视频淩eally, all that has to happen is if there are individuals who do have those skills and wants to put them to use, and they91裸聊视频檙e willing to work in an organized manner under direction 91裸聊视频� usually by someone with the BC Wildfire Service, they just have to reach out.91裸聊视频�

Simpson said they were told by the BCWS that it needs locals 91裸聊视频� their expertise, equipment and knowledge of the area.

91裸聊视频淚 just had a guy from Magna Bay text me a photo of a fire that91裸聊视频檚 burning in a steep area 91裸聊视频� 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,91裸聊视频� said Simpson. 91裸聊视频淪o locals on the ground being able to help BC Wildfire identify areas of concern and areas of large fires, flames91裸聊视频�

91裸聊视频淭hey were in and put about four hours in dual helicopters into the Lee Creek Gorge and I91裸聊视频檓 sure that will save a bunch of houses that are downstream of that area. So we love the collaboration, we91裸聊视频檇 love to have them here.91裸聊视频�

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