Firefighters in B.C. have a new high-tech tool for fighting wildfires: a remote-controlled fire suppression system that can be left behind to protect buildings from spreading fires when it's too dangerous for them to stay.
B.C. fire chiefs converged in Peachland Thursday to see a demonstration of the Wasp (wildfire automated suppression and protection system).
Designed by a veteran firefighter and built by Wasp Manufacturing Ltd. in Port Moody, the Wasp is essentially a remote-controlled fire engine.
Mounted on a trailer, it is powered by 25,000-watt diesel generator. Fire crews can tow Wasp trailers into hot zones ahead of a moving fire, connect it to fire hydrants or tap a nearby lake or stream, and then leave it behind. It can be activated remotely with an iPad, laptop or smartphone.
Its pumps can move water through 3,000 feet of waterlines and up to 30 sprinkler heads to maintain a steady water barrier to protect homes and other buildings that are in the path of a moving wildfire.
When firefighters are pulled out of an area for safety reasons, the Wasp can be left behind, and can pump water continuously for up to five days. It can also be used for flood control and can provide emergency lighting and power.
"I saw the need for equipment... to help free up ground crew," Darrell Pyke, the firefighter who came up with the idea.
"We can deploy it in the bush or anywhere there is an urban interface to protect homes and commercial structures. As long as it is hooked up to water, whether it's a lake or a fire hydrant, we can start it from any cellphone or laptop on the planet."
The units sell for $150,000 each, and Wasp Manufacturing president Randy Cowling believes there is a huge market for the mobile fire and flood machine.
"We estimate the market in North America alone to be over 5,000 units," Cowling said.
