08/31/2026
Since July 31, members of the GVFD have been supporting wildfire operations in BC’s Cariboo region.
The Gabriola crew was staged out of the historic Hat Creek Ranch, near Cache Creek. The Pear Lake wildfire is the largest active wildfire in BC at approximately 1,620 square kilometres, (roughly the size of Vancouver Island from Duncan south) and is still out of control.
Gabriola’s two-person crews have been rotating out every week, allowing fresh members to take over while ensuring Gabriola continues to maintain the staffing and resources needed to protect our own community.
Gabriola's faithful little water tender, affectionately known around the department as the “Little Donkey,” has once again been doing its part.
Our key activities on deployment include supplying structure protection, feeding fire engines and wet-lining and dousing hotspots.
The Little Donkey has deployed every wildfire season since Gabriola began participating in provincial wildfire deployments in 2023. It is one of the smaller pieces of apparatus in our fleet, but year after year it has proven itself to be a valuable resource when communities elsewhere in the province need assistance.
We are proud of the members who have stepped forward, proud of the experience they are bringing home, and maybe just a little proud of The Little Donkey, which continues to prove that you don't have to be the biggest truck in the fleet to make a big difference.