Last summer’s wildfire in Oliver was too close for comfort for many homeowners, so work is underway to reduce the fire risk this year.
Last week Town council heard from a wildfire management specialist regarding a community wildfire protection program for the municipality. (The Town was successful in obtaining two grants to help pay for such a plan, including a FireSmart Neighbourhood Plan.)
John Davies from Valhalla Consulting Inc. said the program looks at several wildfire risk factors (which are rated), including interface fuel hazards and structures at risk. Even environmental risks are assessed in relation to endangered species and flora and fauna, he noted.
Davies said the municipality is fortunate because it doesn’t have a lot of “interface” (forest fuel) issues to deal with, mainly grassland.
Davies said the FireSmart Neighbourhood Plan will look at Eveningstar Court (at the request of Oliver Fire Chief Dan Skaros) due to the experience from last summer’s wildfire on Wilson Mountain).
Residents will be contacted via letter to form a FireSmart board to review the recommendations in Davies’ report. This board will choose three recommendations to implement, giving them the recognition of a FireSmart neighbourhood.
Davies said the intent is to FireSmart homes so they are not susceptible to ignitions from ember showers. Basically, the idea is to take potential fuel sources and turn them into non-hazards. In effect, such a neighbourhood can become a fuel break in fire situations, he pointed out.
“We want to reduce structure loss and the burden on the fire department,” Davies added.
He said residents should ensure their roofs and eaves are cleaned of debris, and that they don’t have wood (or other flammables) stacked against their homes.
The FireSmart manual is available online and provides a number of mitigation recommendations for residents. Visit https://www.firesmartcanada.ca/ for more information.
When asked if Oliver could experience what Fort McMurray experienced recently, Davies said there are significant differences in this comparison. He said the fuel around Fort McMurray is forest, while the Town of Oliver has primarily grasslands.
“The fire behaviour adjacent to, and within the Town of Oliver would be quite different to that experienced in Fort McMurray.”
Rob Graham, spokesman for the Oliver Fire Department, said Eveningstar Court and Spartan Street were in the line of fire during the Wilson Mountain blaze last summer.
“Could we experience what Fort McMurray has? Not to the level that they have. We are not as surrounded by forest as they are,” Graham said.
But he stated that if the fire department did not deploy and defend like it did last year, it may have been a different story, however, not at the same level as Fort McMurray.
Graham said with the early warm weather this spring, the fire hazard may turn out to be more severe than last year.
The fire department advises residents to reduce the fire risk where they can. For example, clear any unwanted brush and remove low-hanging limbs.
“I realize we are water metered, but a little watering of your grass or shrubs can go a long way in making sure things are not dried out,” Graham concluded.
By Lyonel Doherty
