Clearwater has taken some good first steps in protecting itself from wildfires but there still is a long way to go.
That seemed to be the gist of a community wildfire protection plan adopted by council last Tuesday evening.
The plan by BA Blackwell and Associates included a large public awareness and education component.
Recommendations included integrating a unit of FireSmart and wildfire safety into the elementary and high school curriculum, including wildfire risks and dangers on the District’s website, and Fire Danger signs at the entrances and exits of Clearwater and Vavenby along Highway 5 as well as along the road to Wells Gray Park.
Other recommendations included building on the District’s current evacuation plan to identify routes for isolated area (particularly where tourist unfamiliar with these areas might be traveling).
The consultants felt the District should coordinate with other municipalities to establish an integrated Wildfire Suppression Group. This would consist of representatives from the volunteer fire departments, municipal departments and the provincial Wildfire Protection Branch.
The municipality should ensure that critical pump stations, water treatment facilities and other water supply infrastructure have adequate backup power generators.
Another recommendation was that the District consider purchasing sprinkler kits for deployment during a wildfire event.
Over the past two years the municipality has conducted several forest fuel management projects on government-owned land.
The consultants recommended that the District work with private landowners and investigate ways to support them in reducing fuels on their property.