How this man became a rare and valuable asset to the B.C. Wildfire Service

As the Kookipi Creek wildfire and others in the Stein Valley burned this summer, George Campbell worked tirelessly to protect the community he grew up in, where many of his friends and family still live. 

"It's been a crazy, crazy summer," he said.

Campbell, 45, is a wildfire officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service, managing the Fraser Fire Zone within the Coastal Fire Centre, stretching from Jackass Mountain to Haida Gwaii. He's also a member of the Boothroyd Indian Band, which was threatened by the fire.

He spent weeks fielding calls from people he knew wanting to know why he wasn't doing more to protect their land.

"It was tough to be the guy that had to fight that and answer a lot of the tough questions and to try to have a brave face and do your absolute best when inside you're absolutely crushed by the devastation that's happening to your traditional territory," Campbell said.

As of Sept. 26, the Kookipi Creek fire remains out of control and has burned more than 170 square kilometres. On Sept. 7, it was reported that 27 structures had been lost to the fire, including six homes. 

It's Campbell's Indigenous knowledge and experience in wildfire management that has given him the tools to communicate more effectively with Indigenous leaders, and help bridge the gap between the wildfire service and First Nations governments within his area, something stakeholders have praised. 

Stó:lo Tribal Chief Tyrone McNeil said Campbell embodies the direction the B.C. Wildfire Service — and other organizations — should be going. 

"He knows us. He knows the community," McNeil said. 

He said Campbell doesn't use wildfire service jargon; he explains things in a comprehensive way. 

"Communications are just wide open. We've never had a question go unanswered with him in place."

Indigenous communities have a lot at stake when a wildfire threatens their traditional lands: damaged watersheds impact fishing, scorched forests impact hunting and the gathering of medicines and important cultural areas, like burial sites, risk being destroyed.

Dianne Garner, the emergency capacity co-ordinator for the Emergency Planning Secretariat, echoed McNeil's praise, adding that Campbell uses insights from knowledge keepers and elders, who can explain significant cultural landmarks in their communities when needed.

"It's okay to ask George any question about a wildfire," she added. "There's no such thing as a silly question."