Wildfire might have been worse without fire mitigation efforts

Regional district residents now eligible for larger FireSmart rebates

Fuel mitigation work done in the forests around the West Kelowna neighbourhood of Glenrosa had the desired effect when the McDougall Creek wildfire advanced through the area last year, city councillors heard last week.

“We witnessed the effect of that work. It saved lives and it saved homes,” West Kelowna Fire Chief Jason Brolund said.

“It caused the fire to go to the ground rather than be in the canopies of the trees. We can’t fight it when it’s in the canopies but we can fight it when it’s on the ground,” Brolund said.

“I’ve witnessed this first hand; the sound of the fire changed when it hit the areas that had been mitigated,” he said.

Brolund was praising work done by representatives of Ntityix Resources, a forest management company associated with Westbank First Nation, and the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C.

Fuel mitigation involves cutting trees to create wider spaces between the trunks, removing lower limbs so ground fires don’t move into stands, and removing debris from the forest floor. Ntityix Resources has five fuel mitigation projects with a total value of almost $1 million.

Throughout the greater Kelowna area, there will be 12 large-scale fuel mitigation projects in the next three years.

“We’re extremely grateful for the good work that you’ve done, the funding and also the work on the ground,” West Kelowna Mayor Gord Milson told the delegation.

Fuel mitigation is an ongoing fact-of-life to ensure the protection of urban areas in B.C., Gord Pratt of FESBC said. “We, as FESBC are committed, as long as we’re getting funding from the government, to continue the good work. It’s a 20- to 50-year project that will continue beyond 50 years,” he said.

“It’s not a one-and-done. Forests are a dynamic piece out there. They change all the time, they need maintenance and all that stuff,” Pratt said.

Coun. Rick de Jong urged homeowners to do more to fire-proof their properties.

And in fact, in unincorporated areas in the Central Okanagan, increased rebates are now available to homeowners who take fire prevention measures.

Rebates for FireSmart work have increased to up to $1,000 (covering 50% of labour and supplies costs) for property owners in the Central Okanagan East and West electoral areas.

To get started, residents should visit rico.com/firesmart to schedule a free personalized property assessment with Adam Skrinnikoff, RDCO FireSmart Co-ordinator.

He will assess properties and provide tailored recommendations to reduce fire hazards.

Residents who implement the FireSmart recommendations, are eligible for the rebate.