Inquiry into B.C. fires told communication was serious problem

An inquiry into this summer's forest fires in the Interior of British Columbia has been told poor communications created more problems than already existed.

Former Manitoba premier Gary Filmon is touring B.C. looking for public input into a review on the summer's wildfire crisis.

The mayor of the town of Ashcroft, Andy Kormendy, said information at the emergency program office in Kamloops conflicted with what was actually happening on the ground. He says the B.C. Highways Department had closed roads, but he was told at the emergency office there were no closures.

A similar complaint was made on Wednesday by a volunteer firefighter in Barriere who says the chain of command was not clear that no single person was in charge of the firefighting effort near the community.

The McLure-Barriere fire destroyed a local mill and more than 75 homes in August.

The B.C. Wildlife Federation suggested that the commission examine more aggressive tree spacing, controlled burns to reduce forest fuels, and guidelines for the storage of fire retardant as ways of reducing the damage from wildfires.

The Filmon report is set to be completed by February 15.