The Gold Valley Main wildfire burns near Zeballos on Aug. 19, 2018. File photo.
The B.C. government says an action plan is in place to deal with future wildfires and floods following unprecedented events the last two years.
The plan is in response to an independent report led by former B.C. Liberal cabinet minister George Abbott and Skawahlook First Nation Hereditary Chief Maureen Chapman, that proposed 108 recommendations in reviewing the 2017 wildfire and flood seasons.
The province says key actions underway include:
* Building on partnerships with Indigenous and local communities to improve emergency preparedness and build local capacity and resources for disaster readiness, response and recovery. This includes expanding FireSmart funding and resources under the new $50-million Community Resiliency Investment Program and supporting community-led emergency planning.
* Incorporating local and traditional Indigenous knowledge into emergency management practices, including ensuring that community wildfire protection plans and forest fuel management plans consider traditional land uses and knowledge.
* Improving response and recovery integration, tools and resources across provincial agencies. This includes using technology to assess wildfire and flood impacts and starting development of a new provincial disaster recovery framework to adopt a more integrated, co-ordinated cross-ministry approach to recovery, while recognizing the important roles of First Nations partners and a variety of stakeholders.
* Improving public information and outreach to Indigenous governments and communities and local stakeholders. This includes engaging with First Nations at regional partnership tables, supporting local and Indigenous communities in preparing community recovery plans, and building awareness of the mental-health impacts of wildfire and the resources available for British Columbians.
The action plan also took into account recommendations from other reports including the auditor general’s managing climate change risks and fire safety and emergency preparedness in Indigenous communities from the House of Commons.
The 2017 wildfire season saw 1.2 million hectares burned and displaced 65,000 residents and prompted the longest state of emergency in the province’s history.
In the spring of 2017, levels reached historic levels in lakes, rivers and streams that led to flooding and lengthy evacuations.
The province says the cost of the 2017 wildfire and flood seasons was $650 million.
The estimated cost of wildfires and flooding this year is more than $400 million, with a record 1.3 million hectares burned from wildfires.
Action plan progress reports will be delivered bi-annually, with the next update scheduled April 30.
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