FireSmart Program: Volunteers needed

 

One of our community members, Deana, had begun to work with the city of Edmonton to learn more about the tools and resources that are available to support all of us in making our community resilient and firesmart.  This is particularly important as we live in a Wildlife Urban Interface with the ravine forests in some of our backyards!  She is looking for volunteers to support Blackburne Creek in the Neighbourhood FireSmart Recognition Program. 

 

Please see below for further information from Deana:

The vision of this program is to empower communities with the knowledge and tools they need to live resiliently with wildfire. The City of Edmonton recently released its Wildland-Urban Wildfire Risk Strategy to manage risk of wildfire in areas where urban development meets undeveloped wildland vegetation. This strategy addresses the increasing threat of wildfires in urban areas due to climate change and expanding urban development and is aligned with the FireSmart Canada framework.

 

The four strategic pillars of the Wildland-Urban Wildfire Risk Strategy are:

Reduce - Minimize the potential for wildfire ignition and spread in and around the WUI in Edmonton.

Respond - Support integrated emergency responses and wildfire training across City departments.

Educate - Increase wildfire awareness and preparedness by engaging the community.

Coordinate - Collaborate with neighbouring jurisdictions, partners, and various external agencies to build regional resilience.

 

Up to 90% of home ignitions during wildfires are caused by wind-driven embers. The short-range ember map in the Wildland-Urban Wildfire Risk Strategy (Figure 9), shows Blackburn Creek at extreme risk of wildfire due to exposure to short-range embers.

 

Getting recognition as a FireSmart Recognized Neighbourhood involves:

1. 1. Identify a neighbourhood champion (Deana has stepped forward as our leader!)
   2. Set up a neighbourhood FireSmart committee, which creates, implements, and maintains the FireSmart Neighbourhood Mitigation Plan and tracks its progress or status.
   3. Contact a Specialist to complete a neighbourhood Wildland Fire Hazard Assessment (done, just need a committee).
   4. Create a Neighbourhood Mitigation Plan that identifies locally-agreed upon solutions that the neighbourhood can implement.
   5. Conduct FireSmart events each year that are dedicated to a local FireSmart project.
   6. Invest a minimum of $2 per capita annually (including volunteer time) in local FireSmart Neighbourhood efforts. This could include clean up, education, etc.
   7. Submit an annual report to FireSmart Canada that documents continuing compliance with the program.

Neighbourhoods are divided into smaller groups of approximately 50 homes with one volunteer per group. Blackburn Creek breaks down into 6 groups (see map). The 7th group is not identified by the City as a high risk zone but we can have a volunteer from there as well and Deana has stepped forward to support this zone.

 

 

 

If you are interested in this opportunity, please email deanacorp@gmail.com.  She is excited to start this journey to ensure the safety and protection of our wonderful neighbours and community.

 

Image source: magnific.com