CHETWYND, BC — The province has removed its initial response wildfire team from Chetwynd, sparking worries the fire-prone region in northeast B.C. will be more vulnerable to flames. Chetwynd’s mayor and chief administrative officer both say wildfires are only escalating in their region, pointing to a fast-growing fire that closed a main highway and forced the evacuation of several properties Wednesday. …But in 2024, unlike previous years, Chetwynd will not have an initial attack crew, which the B.C. Wildfire Service describes as three or four-person teams “strategically” placed around the province in order to be first on scene when a fire is detected. …Forests Minister Bruce Ralston assured local leadership that the move wouldn’t impact wildfire defence, because the Dawson Creek team is only about 20 minutes away from Chetwynd by helicopter. Officials say that timeline was met when crews were deployed to respond to this week’s fire.