FEATURES Kat Code Burns Bog A Burns Bog fire primer Kevin Welsh, Features Editor The fire at Burns Bog started somehow on Sunday, September 11. Nobody knows how it began, though there are some tentative theories. It could have something to do with an illegal road that’s been discovered within the bog— the fire is presumed to have started somewhere near the end of the road. It could have something to due with an ille- gal dumping ground that’s been discov- ered. Still, it may have something to do with the lowering of the water levels within the bog, a move made in order to appease neighbouring farmers who were concerned about possible flooding. No matter the cause, the fire is here and, so far, it’s been blazing away as it sees fit. According to the Ministry of Forests website, the fire is zero percent con- tained, and any progress that is made has thus far been quickly negated, due to high concentrations of peat. Current estimates say the fire will take up to two more weeks to fully contain, meaning Lower Mainland residents will have to endure smoky air for some time yet. The brigade currently fighting the fire is massive, especially for an urban fire. Presently, over 60 firefighters—a cooper- ative effort including fighters from Delta, the British Columbia Forest Service, and the Greater Vancouver Regional District (GVRD)—are battling the bog blaze, and are being supported by aircraft including: two Bell 212 helicopters equipped with 380-litre water buckets; two A-Star heli- copters with 380-litre buckets; one Convair aircraft equipped with retardant; one Electra with retardant; two Martin Mats water bombers equipped with 27,000 litres of retardant and water; and four Firecats equipped with 3,300 litres of retardant. The biggest problem facing the fire- fighters is the land itself. Over the years, a high concentration of peat—com- bustible, partially carbonized vegetable matter (usually moss) that is used as fer- tilizer and fuel—has built up underneath the bog’s surface in a dome shape. The peat concentration allows the fire to travel underground, away from firefight- ers and wetlands before returning to the surface and starting a new blaze away from the frontlines, making it virtually impossible to predict any patterns. Current estimates size the fire at 200 hectares. While the peat is problematic to the firefighters, the billowing, thick smoke is the primary concern for many Lower Mainland residents. Commuters step off the SkyTrain in New Westminster into a thick, soupy haze. Smoky air has made it as far as Vancouver Island, and Douglas College was nearly shut down on the night of Monday, September 12 because smoke had gotten into the ventilation system. The GVRD has issued an Air Quality Advisory encouraging people prone to asthma and other respiratory ailments to remain indoors if their sur- rounding area is smoky. Areas of 104 Street, north of Highway 10, and 64 Avenue, west of Highway 91, remain closed for safety reasons at press time. Burns Bog is clearly important to the Lower Mainland. To this day, at over 3,000 hectares, it remains the largest undeveloped urban landmass in North America. It has been called the lungs of the Lower Mainland; the bog converts carbon dioxide into organic carbon, which is stored in the peat along with methane gas. It is home to 28 species of mammals, including black bears, and 175 species of birds, including greater sand- hill cranes, snowy owls, and bald eagles. As well, 24 ecosystems have been discov- ered within the bog, and within them are 257 plant species. Though nobody would argue its eco- logical importance, Burns Bog has endured its share of controversy over the years. Under private ownership for much of its recent past, the Pacific National Exhibition tried unsuccessfully to relo- cate to the bog, a move which was finally defeated in 1999. Still, the preservation of the bog wasn’t assured until last year, when various levels of government finally purchased the land. Most of the bog is now protected under the Ecological Conservancy Act. While Burns Bog has been threatened in the past by urban development, it has always been threatened by fire, due in large part to its composition. Recently, fires have become more frequent. Two fires broke out in 1990. The first, in July, was a brush fire that was handled with water. The second, in September, was Masabo Music and Dance Studio krwelsh@canada.com more serious. One hundred and sixty hectares went up in a blaze that took roughly 50 firefighters with air support to suppress, and that effort was aided by rain. In the end, thick ash had migrated around the Lower Mainland and Greater Vancouver. Firefighters and helicopters doused another brush fire in the spring of 1994. In July of 1996, a smouldering cigarette ignited a fire that claimed over 170 hectares of the bog. The blaze raged for a week, and like the current fire, it peri- odically retreated underground and burst out in a new area. Again, rain finally played a part in containing a fire that cost more than $200,000 to battle. Two more fires broke out in quick succession in 1998. In July and August small fires were handled quickly with the aid of air suppott. Interestingly, fire is not 100 percent destructive to the bog. As the plant life grows and dies, their rotting material contributes to the peat build-up. The destruction of the plant life stunts the build-up, and the fire also consumes the peat, itself. Afterwards, the burned land becomes richer in nutrients and able to support different animal and plant popu- lations than before. One final, cheerful note: Concerned citizens have been warned that no official solicitations for donations towards the firefighting effort have been established. Anyone being asked to donate money towards fighting the Burns Bog fire are advised to contact the Delta Police Department. It would seem that cash- hungry vultures are residing in and around Burns Bog alongside the snowy owls. Kerry Evans, OP Contributor Masabo is home to a wide array of dance and drumming courses that are offered to the community. In 2002, Fana Soro, owner and operator, opened the Masabo Music and Dance Studio to act as a centre where artists and enthusi- asts of any of the arts from the African Diaspora could come together to learn and share their craft. Fana Soro was born in northern Cote d’Ivoire. He is a hereditary master of the “balafon,’ West Africa’s big wooden xylophone. At 11, Soro toured as a soloist with Nanlourgo, the top balafonist in the region. He was invit- ed to join the Ballet National de la Cote dIvoire at age 17, where he learned professional performance tech- niques in both percussion and dance. Fana spent nine years with the Ballet touring Europe, North America, the Caribbean, and Africa. In 1990, Fana was invited by the Norwegian Ministry of Culture to perform throughout the Scandinavian Educational System; Fana also became Artist in Resident at the International Museum of Children’s Art in Oslo for seven years. He also toured Northern Europe with the World Music super-group, Super Djembé Kan. In 1997, Soro moved to Canada and formed Masabo Culture Company. Masabo has come to be one of Canada’s celebrated traditional African music and dance groups, representing West Africa and Canada’s multicul- tural community locally, nationally, and internationally. Masabo have released their first-CD, So/ognougo. As a solo artist, Soro is one of the most booked artists for the Vancouver School Board’s Artist in Residence Program. In seven years, Soro has hosted more than 150 residen- cies in the Lower Mainland, sharing his culture with thousands of local children. Since the studio opened, one of the major focuses has been to build relationships with the community. Continued on page 18