There's a free agriculture and wildfire risk reduction workshop taking place Nov. 28 at the Civic Centre.
This day-long event is geared for agricultural producers, wildfire response and emergency personnel and local government representatives.
Farmers and ranchers will learn how to prepare themselves and their properties for wildfire.
The workshop is presented the by BC Agriculture and Food Climate Action Initiative and will talk about wildfire behaviour, threats, history and information about how to protect structures from a fire.
There will be an opportunity to create a customized wildfire preparedness plan detailing what needs to be done before, during and after a fire.
The workshop will get farmers and ranchers face-to-face with local government reps, as well as those in the know about wildfire behaviour.
"This will be a multi-faceted workshop so we really take some time to explore the history and wildfire behaviour to understand the scientific aspects of it," Kevin Smith, workshop facilitator and wildfire mitigation specialist, said.
"A lot of people think when they see that massive wildfire on the mountain it's the heat coming off the trees that is to blame for structure loss, where we know that it's in fact the ember storm that can extend from the fire for up to a half a mile - and up to a mile in some cases with convective current - that are often responsible for structure loss. Over 60 per cent of structure loss is not from what we call radiant heat but from these embers."
All these elements of wildfires will be discussed and solutions will be offered.
"Also we'll looking at the fuel loads, climate change and obviously the extent to which we see people living in the area that we call the wild land urban interface," Smith said.
"I often say that in our small towns throughout British Columbia that you can live right in the middle of your town and you're still in that wild land urban interface because those embers will extend into your town."
Smith said during the workshop there is definitely an opportunity to address structure loss prevention.
"What we're really there to talk about is a tool developed by the Climate Action Initiative in conjunction with user groups like the Cattlemen's Association, which is introducing to the community a wildfire preparedness and mitigation plan," Smith said.
The plan comes in the form of a workbook, which farmers can delve into with the intention of creating an action plan specific to their farm so they are best prepared in the event of a wildfire, Smith added.
The representatives attending the workshop include those from the Regional District who coordinate the emergency operations centre, BC Widlfire, structural firefighters who are part of the structural protection units that are part of the wildfire battle, as well as agrologists.
Funding for the project is provided in part by the federal and provincial governments under the Canadian Agricultural Partnership, a federal-provincial-territorial initiative. The Climate Change Adaptation Program is delivered by the BC Agriculture & Food Climate Action Initiative.
The workshop is free, with lunch and refreshments provided.
For catering and planning purposes pre-register at bcwildfirepreparedness2019.eventbrite.com.
For more information email [email protected].
To download the workbook visit www.bcagclimateaction.ca.
There is a similar workshop set for McBride on Nov. 26.
