Close X
Thursday, November 14, 2024
ADVT 
National

B.C. wildfire service to increase prevention work

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 18 Mar, 2022 02:48 PM
  • B.C. wildfire service to increase prevention work

KAMLOOPS, B.C. - The director of provincial operations for British Columbia's wildfire service says the province needs a "holistic," large-scale program to reduce wildfire risk, starting in backyards, moving to communities then extending to forested lands.

Cliff Chapman says planning is underway to decide how new funding will be used to increase the service's capacity, while it partners with the forest industry, B.C. Cattlemen's Association, First Nations, communities and other stakeholders.

B.C.'s budget released last month allocated $145 million over three years for Emergency Management BC and the BC Wildfire Service to kick-start the province's transition to a more "proactive approach" to wildfire preparedness and response.

The funding will be used to help the wildfire service increase its permanent, year-round staffing, allowing it to focus on every aspect of emergency management for wildfires, including prevention and mitigation, preparedness, response and recovery.

The government allocated another $98 million for prevention work and maintenance on forestry roads, while $26 million is earmarked to upgrade the wildfire service's facilities.

Chapman told a news conference the service is currently assessing how many seasonal staff are interested in becoming permanent and he expects there will be good uptake as crews are proud of the work they do to protect communities.

The service already employs about 400 full-time staff, while about 1,000 staff join each year for "what has become more of an eight-month season," he said.

They're looking to achieve a "fairly sizable increase" in full-time staffing by September, following an increase of 50 to 100 staff for this season, he said.

Some seasonal staff already returned last November to help respond to widespread flooding that swamped communities and severed highways, Chapman noted.

Ravi Kahlon, minister of jobs and economic recovery, told the news conference on Friday that the new funding should "go a long way" to ensure communities are safe.

After two years of below-average fire activity, the 2021 season saw more than 1,600 fires scorch close to 8,700 square kilometres of land between April and September.

A provincial state of emergency declared on July 21 lasted 56 days, ending in mid-September, and the fires triggered more than 180 evacuation orders.

Much of the village of Lytton was destroyed by wildfire just one day after the temperature in the community southwest of Kamloops hit an all-time Canadian high of 49.6 C.

Fires also destroyed dozens of homes and buildings between Kamloops and Vernon and near Kelowna.

MORE National ARTICLES

Transit Police investigate after bus operator bear sprayed in Vancouver

Transit Police investigate after bus operator bear sprayed in Vancouver
The driver was immediately overcome by the effects of the spray as his ability to breathe became impaired. He was treated on scene by the Vancouver Fire Department and while he did not suffer any serious physical injuries, the incident continues to have an impact on his mental well being.    

Transit Police investigate after bus operator bear sprayed in Vancouver

Courts will have to consider COVID delays: experts

Courts will have to consider COVID delays: experts
The pandemic halted in-person court proceedings for months in many provinces over the last two years and put jury trials on hold for long periods of time, exacerbating existing backlogs. Measures such as virtual hearings were implemented to minimize the impact of the pandemic, though not all cases could proceed remotely.    

Courts will have to consider COVID delays: experts

689 COVID19 cases over 3 days

689 COVID19 cases over 3 days
There are 359 individuals hospitalized with COVID-19 and 51 are in intensive care. In the past 72 hours, 14 new deaths have been reported, for an overall total of 2,946.

689 COVID19 cases over 3 days

New EV registrations hit Canadian record in 2021

New EV registrations hit Canadian record in 2021
Statistics Canada says 65,253 new battery-only and plug-in hybrid electric cars were registered in the first nine months of 2021, more than the number registered across 12 months in any previous year.    

New EV registrations hit Canadian record in 2021

B.C. aims to curb catalytic converter thefts

B.C. aims to curb catalytic converter thefts
The Insurance Corporation of B.C. says converter theft claims have climbed from 89 in 2017 to 1,953 last year, totalling more than $4 million in claim costs for 2021.

B.C. aims to curb catalytic converter thefts

Pandemic stalls B.C. associate physician plan

Pandemic stalls B.C. associate physician plan
The College of Physicians and Surgeons of British Columbia proposed the new role of associate physician in April 2020 to address the province's health-care needs, allowing doctors who weren't eligible for a full licence to work under physician supervision.    

Pandemic stalls B.C. associate physician plan