By Greg Fry

BC Wildfires

Massive wildfire event coming to Prince George

Apr 18, 2024 | 5:37 AM

PRINCE GEORGE —Prince George will host the Wildfire Resiliency and Training Summit (WRTS) at the Civic Centre starting this weekend.

The five-day affair will run from April 20 until the 24, with firefighting training this weekend (April 20,21) and a FireSmart conference from April 22-24.

The event will bring over 650 members of the B.C. FireSmart community, including First Nation members, local governments, the provincial government, local FireSmart representatives, wildfire mitigation specialists, firefighters, researchers, emergency managers, wildfire scientists, and industry partners.

Organizers say the theme for this year’s event is “recover, rebuild, prepare,” which recognizes the importance of resilience after experiencing unprecedented wildfires, rebuilding communities with FireSmart principles in mind, and preparing for future wildfire activity.

One of several anticipated keynote presentations is ‘Achieving Resilience in the Face of Fire’ led by Kara McCurdy, Wildfire Prevention Officer, Department of Natural Resources and Renewables from Nova Scotia on Monday.

sd57

SD57 facing $2 million deficit

5h ago

Environment

BC Hydro and conservation group partner with Provinces Invasive Mussel Defence Program

5h ago

Pool Security

City examining drug incident at Aquatic Centre

17h ago

The Lynn Orstad Award presentation honours women who have made significant contributions to wildfire resilience and advocacy. Winners will be announced in an award presentation on Monday.

Another highly anticipated keynote presentation is ‘Supporting Dynamic and Proactive Fire Management in British Columbia’ led by Dr. Kira Hoffman, Postdoctoral Researcher, University of British Columbia and Bulkley Valley Research Centre on Tuesday.

In recognition of the critical role that wildland firefighters play in keeping the province safe, FireSmart BC, the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society, and BC Wildfire Service have partnered to create the new BC Wildland Firefighter Awards. Five firefighters (Indigenous and non-Indigenous) will be honoured at a ceremony on Wednesday.