A campaign to thin out the most fire-prone timber is part of a wide-ranging plan to protect the city from wildfires.
In the process of developing the strategy, presented to city council on Monday night, 14 sites adding up to nearly 580 acres of Crown land in and around the city were identified as high-priority sites for the work.
The concentrations of coniferous, dead and dying trees and the steepness of the slope were the criteria for choosing the locations, Mike Coulthard of Diamond Head Consulting Ltd. told council.
While scattered about, he said most are north of the Nechako River.
"The idea is to go into the stands and thin them out," Coulthard said. "Break up the canopy and try and create breaks between the crowns of the trees so that if a fire does take place it's not able to get into the top of the trees and sort of roll through the forest."
So-called crown fires, that spit out embers ahead of the main blaze, were type seen in Fort McMurray and the Okanagan, he said.
"Those are the real damaging fires that are hard to suppress," Coulthard said. "Generally, crews are able to take hold and manage ground fires but if it reaches the top of the trees, those are the problem fires."
The plan also calls for a large fuel break just north of the Nechako Bench, where there has been an outbreak of Douglas fir beetle. With the exception of a large ravine in the middle, conifer trees would be clears along a swath at least 100 metres wide and extending to farmland to the north.
A permanent road would put through the middle and a stand of more fire-resistant deciduous trees would be planted in the zone, according to the plan.
Sites treated prior to 2013 will also get attention.
As for privately-owned land, the plan also calls for a FireSmart education campaign to encourage property owners to take steps to protect their homes and prevent the spread of wildfires.
Officials are also in the process of developing an evacuation plan for the city and surrounding communities that should be ready by June.
In all, the plan features 36 recommendations tailored towards securing funding from the provincial government, five of them listed as high priority.
