The Mayor of Clearwater says communities like his are continuing to push for grant funding to the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. for fire mitigation work.
“That is something that I’ll jump up and down on every single day is refund the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C.,” Merlin Blackwell said on the NL Morning News. “It is running out of funding. It’s an independent organization from government, and it does great work. Get this stuff done.”
Blackwell says one of the biggest challenges facing his community is the abundance of trees and shrubs near people’s houses.
“People in Clearwater live in the forest. We talk a lot about interface like it is in Juniper Ridge [in Kamloops] where the forest comes down to the the houses. No, no. Every house in Clearwater has 30 to 40 trees around it,” he said. “We’re in the forest. We really need to up our game on FireSmart.”
Blackwell admits it can be tough to convince people to reduce the number of trees on their properties. But he notes in the event of a wildfire, that is something that could make a big difference.
“Take five minutes. Read the FireSmart website. Do the work,” he added. “That hedge in the front of your house right next to your front door is ugly. Rip it out. Plant some tulips. Do something like that.”
It’s not just Clearwater, Blackwell is also encouraging people across the province to take a few minutes to read up on how to Fire Smart their properties.
The City of Kamloops is also asking residents to FireSmart their homes given the unprecedented fire conditions.
“The first and most important zone of FireSmart protection involves the area within 1.5 m of the home and attached structures, including fences,” Fire Chief Steve Robinson said. “This is the space that we and the City hope residents will initially focus on to make the City safer this summer.”
“Fire embers may seem small, but they should not be underestimated as 50 per cent of home fires caused by wildfires are started by sparks and embers.”
Some of the things people can do are cleaning their roofs and gutters, adding spark arrestors on chimneys, and removing any combustible material stored under decks.
“Regular maintenance and cleaning in the corners and crevices of exterior walls where needles and debris build up reduces fuel for embers to ignite,” Robinson added. “Residents should regularly remove windblown leaves from under decks as well as any flammable debris on balconies and patios.”
“Using chainsaws and other heavy machinery is highly discouraged at this time of year as it may cause sparks, which could ignite a fire.”
People are once again able to take the City up on a free FireSmart assessment this year. Residents can call Civic Operations at 250-828-3461 to book a free assessment.
As well, they can also dispose of yard waste for free at the City’s three yard waste facilities, with more details available here.
