In August of 1978 (According to the memories of the local town folks) a forest fire was started on Vedder Mountain by arcing power wires. According to lifelong resident, Josephine Fadden, her husband, Bruce witnessed the sparking of the fire from his farm on Jones Road. He contact the Department of National Resources and reported the fire. It took several days before there was any response and by then the fire spread into Canada and was a major concern.
The fire was burning during the week of the Lynden Fair. It attracted some of the fair goers who came to Sumas to watch the action. According to Art Bobb, the firefighters were using a string of explosives that would run up the mountain and clear a path for the men to follow up the steep terrain.
The base camp was at the Nooksack High School where the fire crew had a chow trailer and other equipment.
There was another fire in the 1980s supposedly started by illegal border jumper's campfire.
Picture 1
Photograph taken by Burl Brooks Beane, August 1978. A helicopter fighting the fire on Vedder Mountain. This was taken looking east towards Vedder Mountain from Rock Road.
Photograph 2
Photograph taken by Burl Brooks Beane, August 1978. Photograph taken looking east from Rock Road of the helicopter hard at work fighting the Vedder Mountain Fire.
Picture 3
Photograph taken by Burl Brooks Beane, August 1978
Picture 4
Photograph taken by Burl Brooks Beane, August 1978 at night of the Vedder Mountain Fire.
Picture 5
Photograph taken by Burl Brooks Beane, August 1978. Another night photograph of Vedder Mountain on fire.
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