British Columbians are being urged to be prepared to get away from their homes fast in the event of a wildfire.
As fires burn out of control in the province’s interior, and the forests and fields on Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast remain tinder dry, FireSmart BC has launched a wildfire preparedness campaign.
Critical wildfire information and resources needed to prepare and plan for the threat of wildfire has been consolidated in one website, Firesmartbc.ca.
It includes fire danger ratings, how to mitigate fire risks on your property, a comprehensive evacuation plan and checklist, and direct links to keep up to date with information from the BC Wildfire Service, EmergencyInfoBC, PreparedBC and DriveBC.
Kelsey Winter, FireSmart BC program lead and chair of the BC FireSmart Committee says a fire moves fast and people will not have time to get prepared once fire is at their doorstep.
Winter says protect your property now, make an evacuation plan and keep watching for evacuation alerts and orders.
Jennifer Rice, BC’s Parliamentary Secretary for Emergency Preparedness says the 2021 wildfire season has quickly become one of the driest and most active on record, and the risk of wildfire is more real than ever.
