By Cheryl Jahn

BC United has fire plan

Jul 8, 2024 | 2:21 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – While it has been a slow start to the fire season, there is every expectation with the warming weather, that will change.

2023 was a particularly challenging wildfire season for the Prince George Fire Centre and there has been one fire of note this year in the Fort Nelson region.

Back in June, the Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, Bowinn Ma spent a week in the region and had this to say on the eve of the summer heat.

“We are doing everything that we can to ensure that we are prepared for this year’s wildfire season. We are implementing recommendations from the Premier’s Expert Task Force on Emergencies, which involves representations from the North, including Prince George’s very own manager of emergency programs, Tanya Spooner. We’ve also trained more responders to support evacuees and enhanced wildland firefighting recruitment. We’ve boosted wildfire fighting equipment and aircraft, and we’re using new and innovative predictive technologies so that we can better understand and fight wildfires.”

Not enough, according to the BC United Party which feels the same old, same old for tackling wildfires is not working.

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Last fall, as the wildfire season was winding down, Leader Kevin Falcon unveiled a blueprint for changing wildfire management practices in the province. He reiterated that plan this month. First priority, modernizing firefighting service with more personnel, expanded air fleet and modern fire suppression technology.

But the next two priorities involve local expertise.

“They’re the people who know where the roads are, what kinds of response need to be made and how and how to do it quickly,” says Shirley Bond, MLA for Prince George-Valemount. “So we believe that you need to utilize local resources, including first nations that often have the equipment, have experience, and can get on the fire situation much more quickly. They know what’s on the ground. So one of the significant concerns we’ve heard over the course of successive wildfire seasons is the fact that very often local contractors are left sitting on the sidelines. And one of the things we’re concerned about is those are the people with local expertise.”