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NSC 2018 Winter Conference:Managing for resilience and mid-term timber supply on a dynamic landbaseFebruary 27-28, 2018

NSC 2018 Wildfires : 2017 and Beyond

Dana Hicks and Rory Colwell, BCWS

1. Summary of 2017 Wildfire Season2. FireSmart Disciplines3. Landscape fuel strategies and

thought processes in Forest Practises Treatments

Agenda

Start – wet spring...

...to a suddenly hot/dry summer

Rapid Escalation (July 6-8)

Drought Conditions

DMCMay 17th - 49July 19th - 339

BC Daily Chronology

Final Wildfire Perimeters

Final Season Statistics

BC 2017 totals No. of fires (30 yr. avg.): 1344 (2047)

Area burned (30 yr. avg.): 1,215,945 ha (87,277 ha)

Total structures burned (prov.): 509Total homes lost (prov.): 229

• +50,000 hrs of helicopter flown• 7400 hours of tankers flown• 22 million liter of retardant• 50 million liters of water/ foam• Almost 3 million person hours

with no fatalities

How Do We Prepared for the Next “2017”??

MANDATE:We provide leadership and expertise in wildfire prevention, mitigation and response services.

Promote FireSmart disciplines as a shared responsibility Improve forest and community resilience in BC

EducationFuels

ManagementLegislation &

PlanningDevelopment

ConsiderationsInteragency Cooperation

Emergency Planning

Cross-Training

Raising awareness of wildfire risks and opportunities for prevention and mitigation.

Managing fuels on the landscape through effective treatments using best available science.

Effective development of policy and legislation to support forestry management practices , integrated land use planning and compliance and enforcement programs.

Best available science and technology to promote effective land use planning that supports infrastructure survivability.

Promote interagency collaboration to better support wildfire preparedness, prevention, response and recovery.

Participate and promote cross-training opportunities that support the delivery of the FireSmart program.

Participate and encourage emergency planning by combining local knowledge with expertise in wildfire management.

Wildfire Risk Modelling and Analysiscombining local knowledge with best available science and technology

GOAL:Minimise the negative impacts of wildfires on public safety, indigenous and non-indigenous communities, essential infrastructure, industry,

the economy and the environment.

FIRESMART DISCIPLINES

VISION: A sustainable, healthier and more resilient British Columbia.

BCWS Prevention Plan Overview

“A sustainable, healthier and more resilient British Columbia”

Vision

“We provide leadership and expertise in wildfire prevention,

mitigation and response services”

Mandate

“Minimize the negative impacts of wildfires on public safety, indigenous and non-

indigenous communities, essential infrastructure, industry, the economy and

the environment”• Promote FireSmart disciplines as a shared

responsibility• Improve forest and community resilience in BC

Goal

Education“Raising awareness of wildfire

risks and opportunities for prevention and mitigation”

FireSmart Disciplines

Fuel Management“Managing fuels on the landscape through effective treatments using

best available science”.

FireSmart Disciplines

Legislation & Planning“Effective development of policy

and legislation to support forestry management practices , integrated land use planning and compliance

and enforcement programs.”

FireSmart Disciplines

Development Considerations“Best available science and

technology to promote effective land use planning that supports

infrastructure survivability.”

FireSmart Disciplines

Interagency Cooperation“Promote interagency

collaboration to better support wildfire preparedness, prevention,

response and recovery.”

FireSmart Disciplines

Emergency Planning“Participate and encourage

emergency planning by combining local knowledge with expertise in

wildfire management.”

FireSmart Disciplines

Cross Training“Participate and promote cross-

training opportunities that support the delivery of the FireSmart

program.”

FireSmart Disciplines

High Hazard Stand Types not Resilient to Catastrophic Wildfire

High Hazard ingrown Douglas-fir stands designated as OGMA and/or UWR

Fuel Management

Fuel Management Objectives

• Are you addressing to the surface fuel loading?

• What are you doing to the vertical fuel arrangement?

• What are you doing to the horizontal fuel arrangement?

Thought Process on Forest Practises/ Fire Threat

• All fire start as surface fires, once the intensity (flame height) builds to a point where the crown fuels are engaged you have a crown fire.

Critical Surface Fire Intensity

Questions?