The City of Quesnel’s Forestry Initiatives Manager is applauding the move to have the BC Wildfire Service operate year round.
The change was announced in the recent provincial budget that puts aside 145 million dollars over three years.
Erin Robinson says the idea is to transition from a model that is now reacting to wildfires to a more proactive model.
“What this really means is the focus will be more on prevention and mitigation, reducing the risk of wildfires, rather than just reacting to disasters once they’re on our doorstep.”
Robinson says both are needed.
“We need to be able to mobilize and react quickly during wildfire season, but there is also a lot of strategic fuel management efforts that need to go on during the winter. The majority of our fuel management in Quesnel takes place during the winter months, so having BC Wildfire crews able to assist are community with falling trees, pruning, piling and burning, all of the important hand crew work we do, will be really important for our fuel management efforts.”
Robinson says wildfire crews also assist with atmospheric river events, so it will enable crews to be able to help them with other disturbances as well.
She says the Community Wildfire Protection footprint not only covers the municipality of Quesnel and the communities of Lhtako, but also goes out into the Cariboo Regional District.