When most people think of Cole Paciejewski, the first thing that comes to mind is the large volume of goals he has scored as a player for the RPR Mechanical/BX Pub Bandits.
What people may not know is that the local lacrosse star has been busy battling some of the wildfires that have ravaged BC.
Paciejewski says it’s been an exhausting process. “So far, this isn’t the most hours I have ever worked but that’s the most fires I’ve ever seen pop up at one time, I think we had 50 starts in one day in Prince George alone which is pretty unheard and if keeps going as it is, I would I imagine I will be heading down south at some point.”
He recently worked on the Timber Road South and Sutherland Road fires located within the Prince George Fire Centre
Paciewjewski is employed as a forest firefighter with the Government of BC.
The entire situation has been quite the ordeal.
“You know I have never seen these many homes that have to get evacuated and this many homes burned and things like that so I feel very sorry for the people that are affected and I hope that some rain comes soon,” Paciejewski says.
Fighting the blazes seems to be a family affair as Cole’s brother Brock, who also plays for the Bandits is also on duty. “He was a crew leader in Chetwynd and didn’t come back this year but because the fires are so bad he’s acting as a response officer in Valemount.”
There are more than 3,000 people currently fighting the fires in BC, including more than 400 from outside of the province and nearly 1,000 contractors from the forest industry. Two hundred and twenty aircraft are supporting ground operations.
For updated information, be sure to visit the BC Wildfire Service website.
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