Fire prevention specialist Carmen Guidos anticipates a busy year ahead as interest grows among Salmon Arm residents wanting to FireSmart their properties.
At the Jan. 8 city council meeting, Guidos, with the Salmon Arm Fire Department, shared a written interim FireSmart progress report. It begins with notice of a successful grant application for approximately $200,000 that will be used to mitigate wildfire risk in the community.
“A large portion of our grant (approx. $150,000), is dedicated to performing fuel mitigation work in our community owned parks, to help protect them, as well as protecting neighbouring residences and City assets,” wrote Guidos. “The remainder of the grant… is dedicated to FireSmart education, public awareness, and helping cross-train Fire Department members in FireSmart principles and practices.”
Guidos also reported on a Dec. 7 public information meeting regarding ongoing FireSmart fuel mitigation at Little Mountain Park and work planned for the Park Hill trail system. At the meeting, Foresite Consultants shared its prescription for planned work, which Guidos said was seemingly well received by the attending public.
“There was a lot of anxious people that came into that meeting, but seemed to leave very contentedly, and I didn’t get any negative feedback after the fact about it,” said Guidos.
Mayor Alan Harrison said he came away from the meeting with the same impression.
“The balance between FireSmarting and fuel mitigation, and natural environment, is one that causes some anxiousness for people…,” said Harrison. “Foresite’s plan, to basically FireSmart, in Park Hill especially, an area by the trails rather than the whole park, thinking that the largest chance of fire is likely to come from the people who are walking on the trail… this makes a lot of sense and I think it made a lot of sense to the people that were there.
“Also, Park Hill is such a big park and the timber in there, there is so much timber. It would be a huge job to try to fuel mitigate the entire park. So that made a lot of sense to me and I think to other people as well.”
Included with Guidos’ report was a FireSmart Yard Waste Disposal Grant Guide, to access funding via the Union of B.C. Municipalities to help offset the costs associated with the dumping of yard waste at the landfill. The guide includes a waste disposal application form. Harrison urged Guidos to have the guide reviewed by members of the city’s FireSmart Neighbourhoods prior to it being authorized by council.
“My recommendation to council… ask Carmen to take it to the heads of those FireSmart communities because they are so different from one another, and to get their comments on it and any input they might have,” said Harrison. “That’s not to say that the form might look any different, but I think that communication piece probably would be an important part of the process.”
Guidos concluded his presentation with mention of a recent news report on this summer’s wildfires.
“We had three requests for home assessments last week, so it’s going to be a busy year.”
Read more: Ongoing wildfire mitigation in Salmon Arm park sparks open house
Read more: Salmon Arm community recognized as a first-year FireSmart Neighbourhood
