Canmore council has been given a brief look at how a wildfire threat is being mitigated in the community but there’s a lot more work to be done, including public education.
Consultant Stew Walkinshaw with Montane Forest Managment presented the FireSmart mitigation strategy to council last Tuesday (July 28), saying it lays out proactively steps that can be taken over the next five to 10 years to reduce the threat of wildfire to the town of Canore.
“The risk of wildfire is high in Canmore,” Walkinshaw said, adding there is also a degree of denial when it comes to this particular issue. “Quite honestly, people think it won’t happen here.”
Mitigation options include vegetation management – over the past 10 years significant work has been done, including fire breaks at the Canmore Nordic Centre/Carrot Creek, thinning and brush removal in Eagle Terrace, Three sisters, Canyon Ridge and RundleView.
In 2011, the Town’s budget includes $50,000 for vegetation management work with half funded by the province.
But the fuel modification work done to date also needs to be inspected and maintained, Walkinshaw said.
While other mitigation options include addressing issues in the Land Use Bylaw, inter-agency cooperation, training for first responders and emergency planning, it is public education that is key.
“Homeowners need to know what the issue is out there and they need to know how to act,” he said. “I think that is a significant problem in this town.”
After watching the destruction in Slave Lake this spring, Walkinshaw recommended the municipality develop and implement a professional FireSmart communication strategy.
“I would suggest Canmore’s fire department, EMS and communications people develop a professional strategy,” he said. “I think it needs to be solid, it needs to be soon and it needs to be aggressive.”
Mayor Ron Casey expressed concern there is a public perception that vegetation management is the same as a fire break.
“It reduces the threat, it does not remove it,” Walkinshaw said.
Cedar shake roofing shingles are prohibited under the LUB, but having trees overhanging buildings or bushes that easily catch fire close to the sides of structures are also problems.
Walkinshaw said a number of recommendations were made for the rewrite of the Land Use Bylaw, including prohibiting flammable roofing material when shingles are replaced on existing structures.
It was also recommended all siding on new, replacement or renovated residential and commercial buildings within 30 metres of high or extreme hazard combustible wildland fuels should be fire resistant and all new exposed decks or porches less than two metres from ground level be encased with non-combustible material to prohibit sparks or embers underneath.
Walkinshaw also presented the community wildfire pre-plan developed this year that sets out a tactical strategy for first reponders to protect buildings at risk in the community.
“It is important to have a tactical plan that gives responders key mission critical information and that is what this plan has done,” he said. “I think we should test this plan… it would be worthwhile to run a major mock disaster exercise to test the effectiveness of the plan.”
He added the Canmore Fire Department has done significant work training and is one of the most highly trained departments in the province for fighting wildfires.
