The Columbia-Shuswap Regional District (CSRD) is voicing its support for a third-party review of the 2023 wildfire season.

The CSRD board unanimously voted in favour of supporting Barriere mayor Ward Stamer’s push for this review of the worst wildfire season on record in British Columbia.

“I fully support this motion and it is already something requested verbally,” CSRD Board Chair, Kevin Flynn said, at the Sept. 14 meeting.

“When emotions are not so high, we need to talk about improvements and the things that were done right.”

At least 176 structures within the CSRD were destroyed by the Bush Creek East Fire with another 50 that were partially damaged.  The Thompson-Nicola Regional District – where about a dozen structures were destroyed or damaged by the same fire – also threw its support behind Stamer’s call for third-party review

Earlier this month, B.C. Forests Minister Bruce Ralston said there would be a “substantial review” of the response to the 2023 wildfire season.

“In terms of a third-party being engaged to that, that decision hasn’t been taken but I appreciate the suggestion coming forward from the mayor,” Ralston said, on Sept. 6.

Five days later, Premier David Eby announced the creation of an “expert task force” to look at lessons learned and best practices around the response to wildfires, drought, heat, floods and other emergencies affecting the province.

“It is also critically important to have an independent voice, a voice from municipal firefighting for example would be a good voice,” Eby said, while in Kamloops on Sept. 11.

“A voice from the BC Wildfire Service that is not from the management level would also be a good voice to have about that front-line experience.”

The CSRD says the call for a third-party review of the wildfire season will be discussed among representatives of the Southern Interior Local Government Association (SILGA). It is also expected to be brought up at the upcoming Union of BC Municipalities Association conference in Vancouver.

“I don’t know if you can ask for more. It seems like Mayor Stamer’s got it pretty well covered,” CSRD North Shuswap Director, Jay Simpson, said.

“It’s brilliant, we need it and certainly I’m very much in favour.”