The City of Salmon Arm has endorsed a new Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan (CWRP) to provide a framework to guide future wildfire risk reduction, preparedness and recovery efforts.
Fire Chief, Carmen Guido presented a request for decision at council’s Oct. 13 meeting, saying wildfires present both immediate and long-term risks to the community.
“As part of the UBCM-CRI FireSmart Grant program, the Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan was initiated to provide a coordinated, organization-wide framework that bridges actions across departments and supports preparedness, response and recovery for wildfires in the City and surrounding area,” read the request.
The plan lists 59 recommended actions that include public education, community preparedness efforts and wildfire risk reduction initiatives.
“Forested hillsides surround the community on three sides, climate change is extending the fire season and increasing the frequency of high-danger periods,” read the resiliency plan.
It noted the recent events across the Shuswap, such as the 2023 Bush Creek East wildfire, demonstrating how quickly conditions can escalate.
The CWRP has been developed to ensure the city has a current, actionable, and evidence-based strategy to reduce that risk and strengthen community resilience. It is designed to replace the city’s previous CWRP from 2020.
The plan was prepared by Forsite Consultants Ltd. under the provincial Community Resiliency Investment (CRI) Program and administered through the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) on behalf of the Ministry of Forests.
The request said that some actions may progress through existing work programs, external funding opportunities, partnerships or future staffing allocations.
