Project contractors, neighbours pitch in to douse blaze amid dry conditions
It was a hot, dry May afternoon at an Aspen Point Program construction site near Groundbirch, northern British Columbia.
James Berry, Enbridge’s chief inspector for the project, was leaving the work site when he noticed a cloud of smoke about a kilometer away. Trusting his instincts, he drove toward it and found a wildfire beginning to spread across a nearby farm field.
Recognizing the urgency of the situation, Berry immediately called 911. His next call was to a crew with Valard Construction, an Enbridge contractor working on the project.
Berry directed them to quickly mobilize the crew and fire trailer on site to help put out the fire. Equipped with water tanks, pumps, and hoses, the fire trailer is a standard safety requirement on the construction site that allows workers to respond immediately to a fire.
“When you see something like this starting, the only thing to do is help out,” said Berry. “We’re part of this community—and the safety of people, property and the environment is always the top priority.”
Within minutes, Berry and the construction team sprang into action. Trained to respond to emergency situations such as fire, the team quickly set aside their usual construction tools, put on backpack sprayers, and deployed hoses from the fire trailer to help bring the fire under control.
“Safety—for our crews, our owners, and the communities around every project we touch—is always paramount. Our teams are trained and equipped to respond quickly, especially during high fire risk conditions, and that preparation made all the difference here,” said Dave Robb, Chief Operating Officer of Valard Construction.
“Having the right equipment on site allowed everyone to act immediately and help prevent what could have become a much larger wildfire. That’s the standard we hold ourselves to on every job.”
Help soon came from every direction. Local neighbours drove in to assist, some from as far as 10 to 15 minutes away. They brought in tanker trucks to supply additional water, so crews could continuously refill their backpack sprayers. A tractor was also used to till the land, creating a firebreak to prevent the flames from spreading further.
“There were probably 25 to 30 people fighting the fire,” recalled Jason Gowda, an Enbridge lands and right-of-way agent based in the area, who helped coordinate support with nearby landowners. “Everyone was working together to keep it from entering the nearby forest.”
Amid extremely dry conditions, crews remained focused on containment. Forest firefighters arrived on scene as the situation was being brought under control, while a provincial water bomber circled overhead as a precaution.
After about three hours, the fire was brought under control. Thanks to the quick and coordinated response, everyone remained safe and no residences or equipment were lost.
