Hugged by forest, Squamish firefighters need residents’ help when it comes to combating wildfires.
“Interface fires (wildfires that put communities at risk) have always been on our radar,” said Squamish Fire Rescue Chief Bob Fulton.
Wildfires devour 25,000 hectares of the province’s forest annually. B.C.’s most infamous interface fire, which ripped through Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park in 2003, forced 27,000 residents to evacuate and consumed 239 homes.
While the coastal climate and vegetation decreases the chance of this happening to Squamish, there’s always a possibility, Fulton said.
“Every year we normally deal with three to four wildfires,” Fulton said, before adding “We get a lot of fires along the highway with smokers throwing cigarettes out of their cars.”
The fire station services 121.5 square kilometres, a region that stretches west to Jack Webster Bridge up Paradise Valley, east up to the BC Hydro power generating station up Mamquam River Forest Service Road and north to Depot Road. It’s a big area to cover and some of the outlying areas, such as Paradise Valley, don’t have access to the municipal water system, Fulton acknowledged.
The wildfires create a formidable situation for which the department has had to plan, one the District of Squamish has integrated into its municipal policies.
In 2007, the district hired consultants Davies Wildfire Management Inc. and Diamond Head Consulting Ltd. to come up with recommendations in a Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP). Valley slopes, particularly on the east side of Highway 99 – such as south-facing slopes of Kintyre and Thunderbird Road – were deemed moderate to high wildfire risk areas.
“Additionally, developments for which there are single or limited access points should be addressed through future development planning,” the report stated, noting this includes developing procedures to deal with traffic flow should Highway 99 become impassable due to a wildfire.
Communities can take steps to mitigate interface fire risks, said Wildlife Management Branch fire information officer Donna MacPherson. Logan Lake, in the southern Interior of the province, earned a FireSmart Canada title after the community pulled together to undertake fuel management projects and teach private property owners how to safeguard their homes and businesses from wildfire.
In Squamish new developments that border forests have to be built with non-combustible roofing and siding and also require sprinkler systems, Fulton said. The obligations are dealt with in the permitting process, he noted.
But the biggest step to preventing the threat of interface fires is in the hands of residents, both Fulton and MacPherson said. “The piece that we are having difficulty with is getting through to people that they need to do their part too,” MacPherson said. “It’s the responsibility of the public to fire-smart their land.”
People want to live by forest, but they need to integrate into it responsibly, MacPherson said. She hopes the soaring temperatures will spur on a culture of thinking and preparing against interface fires.
It’s not always an easy sell, Fulton said. It might mean clearing established trees or bushes from the property line or storing firewood away from a house. Shovels, rakes, buckets and hoses should be easily accessible, and propane tanks should be at least 10 metres from buildings.
Families should also have an emergency fire and evacuation plan and adequate insurance on their property.
“The most important thing is for people to protect their own space,” he said.
For more information fire-proofing your house, visit bcwildfire.ca/Prevention/firesmart.htm.
To report a forest fire call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on your cellphone.
