Nearly a dozen volunteers in Kelowna’s Clifton neighbourhood spent Saturday morning scavenging the forest for big branches and tree limbs.
They’re hoping that cleaning up fire fuels will help keep the land safe from wildfires.
“Every year we watch the fires happen all around us,” said Tara Godwin, Clifton Highlands Community Association’s president. “It just happens everywhere, and it seems pretty inevitable that sooner or later it’s going to hit our community as well.”
Aggressive fires are already raging in B.C.’s Interior because of hot and dry conditions.
“I’m very worried. We go from flood to fire, and we’ve got to do something about it, so I’m out here helping,” local resident Granger Evans said.
To stop the spread of wildfires, volunteers are trimming tree trunks and clearing dead wood.
“The forest accumulates fire fuel as we go along every year, and because we always prevent burns, there’s an excess of fire fuels, so you’ve got to keep cleaning it up as it comes,” Godwin said.
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According to the Fire Smart program, homeowners should clear 10 metres of space around buildings from fire fuels, like trees, shrubs and even woodpiles.
“Collect the debris wherever it would blow into – inside corners, under decks, etc. Those are the same places that sparks are going to blow when there’s a fire,” Godwin added.
Over the last 10 years, an average of more than 2,500 hundred wildfires have been started each year in B.C., burning more than 25,000 hectares of land annually.
The cleanup crew is hoping to recruit more volunteers at its BBQ at Blair Pond Park on Sunday from 1 to 3 p.m.
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