Anna Dimoff

After two record-breaking wildfire seasons, the B.C. government released a new plan this week to improve emergency management.

 is working with First Nation communities, said Doug Donaldson, B.C.'s Minister of Forests. These communities can provide resources in several ways, including their knowledge of burn areas and manpower.

'Disjointed' communication hinders B.C. First Nations in wildfire fight, leaders say

A fragmented system that makes British Columbia responsible for regional districts but gives the federal government authority for First Nations is hampering Indigenous groups in the wildfire fight, community leaders say.

Smoke from wildfires burning in the area fills the air as a transport truck hauling lumber travels on Hwy. 16 near Endako, B.C. on Thursday August 16, 2018. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

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Smoke from wildfires burning in the area fills the air as a transport truck hauling lumber travels on Highway 16 near Endako, B.C., on Aug. 16.

The plan commits to creating a new dedicated First Nations coordination operational staff with opportunities for First Nations and emergency managers to discuss strategies, and to provide&nbsp;training and public education resources to better support the needs of First Nation communities. &nbsp;

The new action plan includes strategies to anticipate areas most at risk for fire, and to organize multiple resources quickly during the peak of wildfire season.

"When fires actually broke out in nearby communities we would have the incident management team come in and right away meet with First Nations… to incorporate local knowledge into the fire action plan," &nbsp;Donaldson told 

"In the past, those meetings would take perhaps seven days to get underway."

Communities in wildfire-affected areas will be trained in prevention and safety practices through the 

 to mitigate risk of damage to homes, according to Donaldson.

Prescribed burns are also included in the report and he said they plan to make more progress with this practice than in the past.

"We're looking at a multi-year prescribed burning project, and that includes assessing the training required both within our own staff… but also increased capacity within communities to be able to do that," he said. &nbsp;

As wildfires burn, B.C. First Nation fears for sacred cultural camp

As bright orange flames filled the sky and roared like a freight train, Beverly Ketlo thought it was time to say goodbye to the Nadleh Whut'en band's beloved cultural camp.

Miranda Louie, spokeswoman for the Nadleh Whuten First Nation, stands on the band's territory as smoke from the Shovel Lake wildfire rising from the mountains in the far distance in Fort Fraser, B.C. on Aug. 23.

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Miranda Louie, spokeswoman for the Nadleh Whuten First Nation, stands on the band's territory as smoke from the Shovel Lake wildfire rises from the mountains in the far distance in Fort Fraser, B.C. on Aug. 23.

Recovery of the land and local economies are outlined in the report with plans for reforestation, expedited cutting permits for salvageable timber, and ensuring the annual allowable cut is proportional to the affected supply.

The Province has released its action plan in response to the government-commissioned, independent Abbott/Chapman report on the unprecedented 2017 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BCwildfire?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BCwildfire</a> and flood seasons in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BC</a>. <a href="https://t.co/RMlfbYjpfF">https://t.co/RMlfbYjpfF</a>

To hear the full interview listen to media below:

The B.C. government’s updated wildfire and flood risk action plan commits to working with First Nation communities and stakeholders to improve response time and utilize all available resources.

B.C. wildfire action plan focuses on collaboration with First Nations

Training communities

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