Community Wildfire Protection Work

Below is a brief summary of the Community Wildfire protection work in and around Tumbler Ridge from 2006 to present.  It does not include the work the local fire department has done under the Fire Smart Program.

• Tumbler Ridge commissioned a Community Protection Wildfire Plan (CWPP) in 2006. Author Sharren Hope PhD
• Between 2007 and 2012 a dozen or so areas were prescribed and treated in and around the town including a harvest area adjacent to the Trend Mountain hotel as per the recommendation from the CWPP.
• The contractor that undertook the prescriptions and follow up treatments was Adlard Environmental. In 2012, due to a disagreement with the town in the outcome of the area treated south of the Trend hotel, the Adlard contract was terminated.
• The planned treatment unit identified in the 2006 CWPP area surrounding the pond had not yet been treated. All other prescribed areas under the 2006 plan were treated.
• The Community Forest was established in 2012 and took on the treatment plan for the Pond area. The new CF prescription included significant recreation opportunity options for the town in the area once the treatment was completed.
• After comprehensive consultation with the local community, the pond area was treated with a faller select harvest pattern in 2014, managed by the CF.
• In 2014 the CF commissioned a second Community Wildfire Protection Plan prepared by Silvicon Services Inc. out of Smithers B.C.
• From 2014 to 2018 in consultation with Wildfire Branch and the community, the CF treated three areas focused on the high and medium treatment areas around the town as identified in the 2014 CWPP. These include 26 ha. from the Golf Road and cemetery 2015, North of horse stables 51 ha in 2016, and East of town industrial area 23 ha in 2018.
• Once the treatments were complete, the CF met with the regional wildfire experts in Tumbler Ridge to review any future treatments within the 2 km perimeter of TR.
• The experts concluded that even thought a few high-risk areas from the CWPP had remained untreated within the two km perimeter, these areas had significant additional resource vales (such as golf course corridors) and these values were incongruent with fire treatment possibilities.
• In 2021 the Wildfire Branch commissioned a consultant from North Vancouver Frontera Forest Solutions Inc. to conduct additional wildfire prescriptions around TR.
• In Summer 2022 the proposed prescriptions were reviewed in the field by the CF manager, the CF consultant DWB and the regional wildfire experts and it was determined the prescriptions that were proposed would not meaningfully protect the town from wildfire impacts.  Refer to letter attached dated Aug 18,2022 from BC Wildfire Service.