A new five-part documentary series will take viewers behind the scene of B.C.'s worst fire season on record, when massive fires rolled through much of the province's Interior in 2023.
The new series Wildfire will premiere on the Knowledge Network on April 29, featuring footage from fires that burned through the Central Okanagan, Kootenays, Gun Lake, and Donnie Creek.
“The compelling series takes viewers behind-the-scenes, providing an in-depth and educational exploration of the cutting-edge tactics used by the highly trained frontline workers of BC Wildfire Service,” the Knowledge Network said in a press release.
“From initial attack crews to specialized air attack, parattack, and rapattack teams — as well as the last remaining all-Indigenous unit crew in the province — Wildfire follows the British Columbia’s elite first responders of wildfire as they combat the rising threat of today’s modern mega-fires.”
Over the 2023 fire season, more than 2.84 million hectares burned in B.C. The new documentary will include footage from West Kelowna's McDougall Creek wildfire, which destroyed hundreds homes.
The series was created by by Optic Nerve Films’ Kevin Eastwood and CK9 Studios’ Simon Shave and Clayton
Shave and Mitchell are both former wildland firefighters.
“We’re deeply honoured that the BC Wildfire Service trusted us with this idea,” said Shave and Mitchell said in a joint statement. “Wildfire isn’t just about dramatic footage. We wanted to unlock the human stories of not only those affected, but those fighting the infernos who are so often also personally impacted. It was incredible to witness the power communities can have when they rally together during loss and disaster.”
The series can be viewed on the Knowledge Network, airing Tuesdays from April 29 to May 27, or . The series's preview video can be watched .
