wildfire

Fifteen small communities and First Nations in the Columbia Basin are upping their abilities to prevent and fight wildfires. These projects are being done with support from Columbia Basin Trust.

The City of Fernie is welcoming $102,525 in Provincial grant funding to support wildfire-risk-reduction initiatives in our community.

Fernie is one of 13 local governments in the Southeast Fire Centre receiving funding this year through the FireSmart Community Funding and Supports category of the Community Resiliency Investment program.

The funds awarded to the City will be used to assist with education, development considerations, interagency co-operation, emergency planning, cross-training, and FireSmart activities in residential areas.

Members of the Baynes Lake and Jaffray Fire Departments responded to a grass fire in the Jaffray area this afternoon.

“A private property owner was burning grass and it got away on him,” says Elk Valley & South Country Rural Fire & Rescue Chief Michael Hockley. “When we arrived on scene, the fire was moving into longer grass and our firefighters did a good job of containing it quickly and preventing what could have been a much more serious situation.”  

Saturday, May 1st is Wildfire Community Preparedness Day and residents across the East Kootenay are being urged to spend some time tomorrow thinking about how they can help protect their homes and properties from the risk of wildfire.

2017 and 2018 saw extreme wildfire activity with a record number of fires across BC and in the Basin. Through its Community Wildfire Education Grants the Trust is supporting the efforts of Basin communities and residents to prepare for and reduce the impacts of wildfires occurring within or adjacent to Basin communities.