ROCK CREEK — A dozen local residents are waging a desperate battle to establish a fire line just on a ridge beside the Kettle River East Road try to stop a massive forest fire from blowing back on the town of Rock Creek.

They have toiled unaided by professional firefighters, who were busy elsewhere trying to slow the spread of the fire as it roared into the Christian and Nicholson Creek valleys.

For three days since the fire broke out Thursday afternoon they hosed down houses, dug out hot spots and punched a machine-made fire break up the ridge, until on Saturday six redshirted provincial firefighters showed up to collect names and assess the available equipment.

But until then, the residents were on their own, and fought the fire on their terms.

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CLICK HERE to view more photographs of the Rock Creek fire, or if using a handheld device, tap the image above and swipe.

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Showing the kind of resiliency that comes with living in rural B.C. and far from big box stores, the residents assembled the available farm vehicles, including a tractor, pickup trucks, an all-terrain vehicle, water tanks and a snake’s nest of hoses. Many have firefighting experience.

The citizen brigade headed seven kilometres up the East Kettle River road to a series of folded ridges where the fire had blown across the river, where it is all that stands between the fire and Rock Creek, due south down a heavily forested ridge.

A small army of provincially-funded firefighting helicopters showed up Saturday afternoon to begin putting out hot spots high up on the ridge. The provincial firefighters told the volunteers to get off the ridge late in the day.

But on Sunday, the government hired many of them back, as long as they had safety equipment. They also hired the local water tanker and ATV, and other equipment.

Elsewhere, the residents are putting out hot spots on their own. John LaRose, his neighbour Kellie Fenwick-Wilson and a friend, Marlise Fischer, waded across the Kettle River and worked all Sunday dousing deep hot spots boiling under trees. Their fear: winds would flare the fires up again and blow across the river.

It’s not just the fire the residents are fighting. They are also engaged in something of a rearguard action with the RCMP, who want the area evacuated, and are trying to protect lives and guard against looters.

The residents — who believe they are better prepared to save their homes in the absence of provincial ground crews — have banded together, fed each other, shared parts for equipment and worked against difficult odds.

“We’re here trying to save homes,” said a frustrated Seth Price.

He’d come in from Greenwood, bluffing his way past the RCMP roadblock.

“It seems like we are being restricted from helping ourselves because there are so many restrictions on firefighters being in here because it’s “too dangerous” for them to be in here,” Price said. “But for us landowners, it’s not too dangerous until we’re on fire. We’re here till the bitter end.”