The chief of the Heiltsuk First Nation says her community was left on its own to battle a wildfire over the weekend. The fire broke out on a hillside across from Bella Bella.
It’s believed it was started by an electrical failure in power lines.
Marilyn Slett says the Nation responded to the fire and tried to contact BC Wildfire, Provincial Emergency Preparedness, and the company that owns the power lines, but received no response.
Slett says in the meantime, her community is being supplied by a diesel generator and residents on near by Denny Island are on standby to evacuate.
She says the lack of response from provincial agencies is disappointing, especially following the poor response to the sinking of a tug boat in the area last year, which resulted in a diesel fuel spill in the area.
