Report: British Columbia Hasn’t Done Enough to Reduce Wildfire Risk
One of the authors of a report into wildfires that devastated British Columbia two decades ago says the province hasn’t done enough in the time since then to reduce fire risk.
History of Wildfires in B.C.
In 2003, B.C. had more than 2,500 fires burn through the province’s interior, including the destructive Okanagan Mountain Park wildfire. In response, the provincial government commissioned a report to evaluate its response to the fire season. The resulting Firestorm 2003 provincial review made several key recommendations, including the drafting of protection plans for high-risk communities and mitigating wildfire risk through fuel clearing.
Lack of Progress in Fire Risk Reduction
Despite the recommendations, the province has made little progress in reducing fire risk. According to B.C.’s Ministry of Forests, only about 2% of the high-risk area has undergone risk reduction treatments, totaling approximately 16,000 hectares of land. Report contributor Robert Gray, a wildland fire ecologist, expressed concern about the lack of progress, stating that failure to take action could result in severe consequences for the forest industry and impacted communities.
Challenges in Fire Risk Mitigation
The slow progress in fire risk reduction is attributed to various factors, including time and cost constraints. Treating at-risk forests is a laborious and expensive process that requires ongoing maintenance. Furthermore, the lack of incentivization and completion at the landscape scale have hindered progress.
Focus on FireSmart Program
B.C. Forests Minister Bruce Ralston acknowledged the need for improvement and highlighted the province’s focus on the FireSmart program, which aims to provide funding and training for communities to reduce the risks of wildfires in populated areas. However, the uptake of the program has not met expectations.
Potential Future Actions
Ralston expressed his expectation that the FireSmart program would be a key point of discussion at the upcoming Union of B.C. Municipalities conference. He also mentioned the possibility of increasing resources in the 2024 budget and expanding the mandate of the BC Wildfire Service. The government plans to conduct an after-action review to identify ways to better reduce wildfire risk.
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