Kelowna urged to fight fire with fire

Landscaping standards, prescribed burns of grassy areas among 47 recommendations in report from wildfire expert

Burning grasses in Kelowna could help reduce the risk of wildfires, council heard Monday.

In a report to council, wildfire expert Bruce Blackwell brought forward 47 recommendations aimed at better protecting Kelowna homes and neighbourhoods from wildfires.

“The main challenge we identified out of this plan is that in the older neighbourhoods there is still a considerable amount of vegetation that puts the community at risk and landscaping that isn’t appropriate in a fire-dominant community,” said Blackwell.

He recommended the city develop a landscaping standard to determine what plants are appropriate in terms of climate, maintenance and low flammability.

Many developments are occurring in high-threat areas with steep slopes and areas that are not easily accessible for fire mitigation, said Blackwell.

Another standout risk for wildfire in Kelowna is the abundance of grass, he said.

“Grasses in these climates spread vigorously and fast in a wind-dominated environment.”

Blackwell suggested conducting prescribed burns in grassy areas to reduce the risk of fire.

“It may mean asking people to leave their homes on weekends or on certain days when you burn, but if we don’t find a way to start controlling this grass we’re going to accumulate a significant hazard here,” he said.

Coun. Luke Stack asked about the health risks associated with prescribed burning, including smoke, and Blackwell said the benefits of a burn outweigh the negatives.

“It’s a very effective treatment in dealing with the grasses,” he said. “You have more grass in the interface than anywhere I’ve worked recently, and that grass is increasing.”

The risk of a fire ranges from moderate to extreme in areas such as the South Slopes, South East Kelowna, McKinley Landing, Ellison and around Knox Mountain.

City of Kelowna urban forestry supervisor Andrew Hunsberger said staff would come back to council in the fall with an implementation strategy relating to the recommendations in the report.