L-r Report author, Bruce Blackwell, goes over briefing notes with Mayor Dan Rogers, Urban Forester Lauren Phillips , Grant Bain City  Planning, and Dan Adamson City Environmental officer prior to  Helicopter flight over  region.

Prince George, B.C.- While Prince George is considered way ahead of other B.C. communities when it comes to taking measures to reduce the risk of wild fires, there is still much to be done.

A special report to Council will outline how there are still two major areas of the city which need   to be dealt with, the Nechako ridge between Chief Lake Road and Bayshore Estates, and Cranbrook Hill. The east side of the city doesn’t face nearly the risk as that area has more deciduous trees which have much higher moisture content.

Report author Bruce Blackwell, says the big threat to Prince George is from an ember shower. “During the Kelowna fires,   embers were lifted up into a heat column and carried 9 kilometres. When they landed, they touched off new fires, and the fire fighters were overwhelmed.”

His firm presents worst case scenarios for three areas in the City’s region which need treatment.

On the map below, the “x” marks the ignition point of three different areas.    Each area is encircled in pale green as to the reach of the fire in a 24 hour period.   Within those regions,  the yellow lines show how far that same fire would spread in the same time period if the area had been “treated” such as Moore’s Meadow was treated, or the current work underway in forests for the World.

“We aren’t talking about removing all trees” says Blackwell, “But there needs to be extensive thinning and removal of under story to reduce the fire fuels.”

There is no way to put a price tag to the work necessary and there will need to be consultation as much of the land in question is privately owned. “Prince George is on the leading edge, as it has already done far more work on this issue than most other communities” says Blackwell, “but there is still a great deal of work to be done.” 

In the past, Prince George has received funding from UBCM, Natural Resources Canada, and the Job Opportunity program to carry out the necessary work.   Depending on approval from council the city may apply to expand it’s community forest.

Blackwell says even if the high risk areas are treated, that won’t prevent a forest fire, but the impact should be reduced. The risk is very real says Blackwell, “Along with floods and earthquakes, this one is right up there on the radar.”