Feature Article August 22, 2001
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The day after the Parham fire sceneBy David BrisonOn Wednesday morning, the day after the Parham fire had started, a crew from the Hinchinbrooke fire department, under the direction of Captains John Morrow and Paul Allison, were on the scene pouring water on the still-smouldering brush fire.
The fire fighting crews from Alberta and Saskatchewan had camped out and were up putting out a number of hot spots some of which would occasionally ignite in flames. MNR Fire Boss Dave Brown was also still there preparing to leave after a final tour by air of the fire site. The fire bombers were gone, but Brown still had a light helicopter at his disposal. He was assisted by Pat Harvey a fire behaviour coordinator from the MNR office in Kenora. Senior Constable Randy Cota from the Lanark/Sharbot Lake detachment was tying up loose ends on his investigation of suspected arson.
Your reporter, along with an OPP photographer, went along with Brown on his final tour by air. The helicopter, flown by Martin Massicotte (both were on loan from Canadian Airlines), made several turns, at varying heights, of the fire scene. Although the fire, which was just off the tracks between Elbow Lake (from the air the lake certainly looks like an elbow) and Parham, was still smoking, very little burned ground was visible from the air. This is because the fire burned the brush close to the ground, and continued to burn in the dry, loosely compacted humus underground, but did not destroy the green leafs and needles of the trees. The OPP photographer wanted to get pictures of the place where the fire had allegedly been started near a silver coloured CPR switching box on the southern edge (towards Elbow Lake) of the fire. Dave Brown had earlier noted that the fire, although headed in the general direction of Parham, would probably not have hit Parham unless the wind had changed. That was difficult to see from the air, as the strip that was still smoking seemed to be aimed directly towards the village. After we landed, I was taken to the fire by a CPR truck which had been the major supply line into the fire during the night. It was bringing food, water, gas, hose, and other supplies to the crews who were still working. Captain Paul Allison escorted me through parts of the smoking, hot ground. It is only close up that the untrained eye can fathom the full extent of both the danger and the extent of the damage. Allison showed me a patch of ground, roughly 200m square, that the Hinchinbrooke crew had been pouring water on continuously since the fire had started -- and after the water bombers had dropped their large loads of water. The soil in most spots was still dry despite the amount of water it had received. When Allison put water on the smoking areas, it sizzled an indication that the fire was still burning underground. We will have to have the equivalent of three days of heavy soaking rain, which penetrates the subsoil, before the fire is under control. That might not even stop the burning below the surface. Reports from the fire near Camden East on July 27 indicate that roots 15 feet below the surface are still burning. The fire will require watchful vigilance for a number of days if not weeks. No buildings or structures were destroyed, but the cost of the fire is substantial. Million dollar CPR freights had to be delayed for up to five hours. The municipality of Central Frontenac will be charged for the cost of the MNR operation. Fire Boss Brown roughly estimated that cost at $15,000. The municipality is only charged for the time the aircraft fly over the fire the actual cost of the services provided by the MNR is considerably higher. The unsung heroes are the volunteer firefighters, whose efforts were stretched to the limits.