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The Okanagan has long been a tourist destination in the summer, well-known for its gorgeous beaches and sunny weather.
While this is still true, summertime in the Okanagan has become known for something else, too — devastating wildfires.
The summer of 2017 was one of the worst wildfire seasons in British Columbia’s history, with 1,353 wildfires and 1,216,053 hectares burned. As we know, last summer wasn’t any better, the second half feeling post-apocalyptic due to the heavy smoke in the air.
Is ‘smokeanagan’ the new norm? We sure hope not — but fixing the problem will take a community effort. It’s important that we take precautions to prevent wildfires from starting and spreading.
The first step is to do our part to prevent fires from starting in the first place. 40.8% of the fires in 2017 were human-caused. That’s 552 fires. So this year, listen to the fire bans. Be careful with cigarettes, open flames or other dangerous substances. Skip the s’mores. Don’t push your luck — it’s just not worth it.
The next step is to do what we can to minimize fires when they do happen, and that starts with preparation before the dry season hits. We spoke with Rick Euper, Fire Safety Inspector and Educator at the Kelowna Fire Department, to learn more about how local communities are being proactive and how residents can mitigate risk and protect their properties this fire season.
How can I protect my property?
Simply checking the perimeter of your home is a great first step. Before the dry season starts, take a walk around your home and check for materials that could easily catch flame. Wood piles, for example, should not be kept right by the home — especially if you live near a forested area.
“Ideally, for anywhere near an interface area (close to the forest) the best thing to do is make sure there are no combustible materials within 1.5 meters of your home,” said Euper. “Our biggest fear when we have an interface fire are the embers. Homes as far as 2 kilometres away can start burning because the embers gather.”
Wood decks can be deadly culprits. Make sure the embers can’t gather anywhere that they can start to burn, such as under the deck. If possible, cover your wooden decks when fire risk is high.
Roofing is another concern in the Okanagan.
“Back in the 80’s, the big thing was to use cedar shake roofs,” said Euper. “These are not very good for this area and it’s how we lose a lot of houses.”
If you have a cedar roof, consider swapping your roofing materials for something non-combustible, such as asphalt shingles. Something else to consider replacing is the vegetation around your home as certain plants are much more prone to catch and spread fire than others.
“Cedar hedge trees and junipers are one of the worst things to have around your home in the Okanagan,” said Euper. “When they start to burn, they burn like gasoline.”
Check out the FireSmart Guide to Landscaping for suggestions on how to replace your high-risk plants. And most importantly, take Euper’s biggest piece of advice — look after yourself.
“Prepare long before the fire season. Get things ready around the home, check out FireSmart.ca or call us for a free assessment of your home,” said Euper. “There’s a lot we can do but we need to do it before fire season hits.”
What are at-risk communities doing to mitigate fire risks?
The Kelowna Fire Department is a FireSmart Canada partner, and has been working with neighbourhoods throughout the Okanagan to increase the number of FireSmart Communities. Gallagher’s Canyon and Quail Ridge were identified as high risk due to their rural surroundings and home materials, and have all now been recognized for their fire safety by following the program’s criteria.
Another local community working hard to mitigate fire risk is Wilden. Check out this video about how Wilden is preparing for fire season, featuring Registered Professional Forester Dave Gill.
"Wilden neighbourhoods are surrounded by nature and so far we have kept huge parts of the land untouched. But as the awareness of fire hazards grew in the past years, we wanted to invest to make our beautiful natural areas more safe," said Karin Eger-Blenk, Director at Blenk Development Corp. "We had an extensive wildfire hazard assessment and mitigation plan done by expert Dave Gill. Since fall 2018 we are following a step-by-step strategy that Dave laid out for us. We have started in the most vulnerable areas and will work our way through all of Wilden in the upcoming years."
"We’ll also be encouraging community involvement to turn Wilden neighbourhoods into FireSmart communities," added Eger-Blenk. "What we want for our residents and neighbours is peace of mind, but also the knowledge to contribute to a safe environment. "
How will you help prevent the spread of wildfires this year? For more information about how to prepare in the coming months, visit FireSmart or contact the Kelowna Fire Department.
Spread over the hillside along Okanagan Lake, a short 10-minute drive from downtown Kelowna, lies Wilden, a community that has mastered the art of growing in population without losing its pristine beauty. Half of the roughly 1,500 acres will always be preserved as natural open space or public parkland.
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