As hot and dry conditions continue across the region, the City of Kamloops is taking proactive steps to reduce wildfire risk and help protect our community thanks to two successful Union of BC Municipalities FireSmart Community Funding applications, valued close to half a million dollars. The funding includes $75,000 to continue supporting winter fuel management activities and $400,000 over the next two years for community-based FireSmart planning, education, and activities.

Fuel management is an important part of reducing wildfire risk in interface areas around Kamloops. Through planned work to remove or modify vegetation and other fuels, the City can reduce the amount of combustible material available to a wildfire. This can help slow fire behaviour and create safer conditions for firefighters responding to a wildfire. Fuel management is one part of a broader approach to wildfire resilience that also includes emergency planning, community preparedness, and FireSmart practices. 

Thanks to ongoing support from Union of BC Municipalities FireSmart Community Funding, the City has engaged in fuel management on over 1,000 ha of municipal property since 2008.

Residents also play an important role. FireSmart practices can help reduce the risk of wildfire spreading from one property to another and can make individual homes more fire resilient. Simple actions, such as keeping roofs and gutters clear of combustible debris, managing vegetation around the home, and choosing fire-resistant materials when completing home improvements, can reduce the potential for a home to ignite during a wildfire. The new community-based FireSmart funding supports planning, education, and activities that help residents reduce wildfire risks on their own properties. 

"Wildfire resilience is a shared responsibility, and this funding allows us to continue taking meaningful action," said Kathleen Cahoon, the City’s FireSmart Liaison. "Fuel management helps reduce wildfire fuels in strategic areas, while FireSmart practices give residents practical ways to reduce the risk around their own homes and within the community. Together, these efforts help make Kamloops safer and more resilient.”

By combining interface fuel management with actions taken in the community, Kamloops can reduce wildfire risk across neighbourhoods and strengthen the community's ability to withstand wildfire impacts.

Learn more at Kamloops.ca/FireSmart.