WEST KELOWNA — Many B.C. communities will be vulnerable during an interface wildfire, according to a new report. The B.C. Forest Practices Board, an independent watchdog for sound forest and range practices, says the provincial government has made little progress in reducing fire risks, criticizing the ministry for not doing more.
“From the board’s perspective not much has happened with respect to all the dollars that have been spent,” says board chair Ryan tim.
The Ministry of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations has spent $67 million on its Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative since 2004.
The board says less than 10 per cent of hazardous forest fuels have been treated during that time.
Tim says reducing fuels is vital in giving fire crews a better chance to knock down the blazes and reducing the amount of damage.
Minister Steve Thomson encourages local governments to adopt Firesmart bylaws and urges residents to be proactive in reducing fire risks on their own properties.
But West Kelowna Mayor Doug Findlater says the government also has an obligation to step in.
“We’re asking for the provincial government in some way to get tough on private landowners to mitigate their lands in interface areas, and that doesn’t necessarily mean more money, it means can the province step up with enforcement?” asks Findlater.
The ministry says addressing fire risks in communities have developed over many decades and will take time to resolve.
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