Update: The fire is pretty much out but the residents can't return home. Very sad. Looks like the adjacent building might have water damage from sprinklers.
Fire crews are on the scene of a large condo fire in Surrey on 104th Avenue between 100th Avenue and 101 Avenue. It's contained but three ladder trucks in 154th street hammered it with water to contain it. A fourth was set up on 101st Avenue in case it spread. Just like that other business fire on 104th the Surrey Fire department were very aggressive and very effective and continuing the fire before it spread.
So once again to put out a large fire you need to hammer it with water. You can't fight forest fires with a shovel and a sprinkling can on a helicopter. You need more water from water bombers.
In the spirit of preparedness, it raises the concern about fighting fires in Surrey after an earthquake. We all know Metro Vancouver is over due for a large earthquake.
Metro Vancouver is working on the problem but it's quite possible an earthquake would shut off water to Surrey. The North Shore watershed might not be accessible.
Which means if a fire breaks out after an earthquake, all the wood framed houses are very high risk for ending up like Maui in preparation for a 15 minute city.
Building towers out of wood like the one across from Superstore on 104th Avenue is a bad idea. Once a fire starts, if it's not quickly contained, will spread like a forest fire.
Interesting that you should remark of the VLM being overdue for an earthquake. But if it should happen, many of the fires you envision may be extinguished by the after effects; be reminded that much of the VLM is at sea level or very close to it. While Vancouver Island may shield the Lower Mainland from the direct impact of a possible tsunami generated by a near offshore event to it's west, we could speculate that flow around it could raise water levels to a significant height temporarily. The safest place to be would be the North Shore, and as far up it as you could get. This assumes no geological fracture of the slope.
ReplyDeleteGMAFB Maui was at sea level and they shut off the water. After shocks don't put out fires from Natural gas lines that burst. North Van is covered with trees. A forest fire could easily sweep through that just like Fort MCMurray. Especially when the BC NDP fight forest fires with a shovel. The West coast of Vancouver Island could get another Tsunami. Vancouver would just get a swell like Fukushima. In the last days some cities will crumble. Some will sink, like Richmond while others will burn.
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