New B.C. program to train wildfire volunteers gets mixed reviews from Interior communities
Some say plan downloads costs to district, while others welcome any funding
With the 2025 wildfire season looming, Jamie Viera is fighting for any aid that will help communities in B.C.'s Interior build resiliency and volunteer strength on the fire line.
"Community groups are involved in wildfire response whether we want them to [be] or not," said Viera, the general manager of operations with the Thompson Nicola Regional District. "We want to build those relationships and support those community groups."
On Thursday, the regional board passed a resolution to support the B.C. government's inaugural Cooperative Community Wildfire Response program (CCWR) and apply for part of a new $60 million FireSmart fund to train and equip volunteer groups willing to help B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) crews in rural and remote areas.
But the pilot program is dividing regional districts and communities hoping to work more closely with the wildfire service and protect rural properties.
Rejection of provincial program
Last month, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District's (CSRD) board of directors voted to decline participation in the program and to seek any funding. A letter sent to the provincial government cited numerous problems, including lack of consultation, the administrative costs involved and the scope of the program.
"We were surprised in October to learn … that regional districts were solely responsible for administering the program and essentially, the revised program was downloaded to regional government and done not only in terms of responsibility, but also fully in cost," said CSRD board chair Natalya Melnychuk.
LISTEN | Why CSRD is rejecting provincial funding:
Only groups operating in rural areas, outside of jurisdictions covered by existing municipal or volunteer fire companies, can apply.
Funding won't cover any activity related to actual wildland firefighting; only costs of basic wildfire safety training, personal protective gear and "relevant work" like patrols and post-fire mop-up will be covered.
"We went out after the 2023 fires and had community consultation and heard about ways, lessons learned, and ways to do things differently. And we heard explicitly … there are certain residents that want to be involved in fire suppression," Melnychuk said.
In 2023, the Bush Creek East wildfire complex tore through communities around Adams Lake and Shuswap Lake and the land straddling both the Thompson-Nicola and Columbia Shuswap Regional districts.
More than 250 properties were destroyed in communities like Scotch Creek and more than 45,000 hectares of forests burned, causing almost a quarter billion dollars in insured damage.
WATCH | North Shuswap residents return to fire-ravaged homes:
During the crisis, some residents who were ordered to evacuate their homes refused to leave and pleaded with the BCWS for more support and information.
In the aftermath, community meetings were held between the wildfire service, provincial government and regional districts to improve relations and integration.
Promising action, Premier David Eby convened an Expert Task Force on Emergencies, leading to a report that included recommendations for incorporating local volunteers into wildfire response.
WATCH | Communities angry after wildfire search for solutions:
Melnychuk says consultations broke down when it came time to implement those recommendations.
"We were having initial conversations with the B.C. Wildfire Service and provincial government, and then there was a stop in consultation. There was a stop in communication and then being told what to do as local government," she said.
The Columbia Shuswap Regional District isn't alone in its criticism. The Regional District of Kootenay Boundary has also sent a letter to the B.C. government rejecting the program.
The Union of B.C. Municipalities, which is administering the funding on behalf of the government, says the program needs to be reassessed.
"The feedback we have heard from local governments about this pilot program is that while there is general interest in seeing CCWR groups supported to engage in wildfire response, there are concerns about the design of the program," it said.
Province defends program
In a statement to CBC News, B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar pointed out that the responsibility for wildfire fighting in B.C. remains with the province, and that's not going to change.
"The Cooperative Community Wildfire Response program was created in response to B.C.'s 2023 wildfire season and requests from certain communities to be involved in wildfire response," he wrote.
"Involvement in the program is entirely optional, and whether or not a community participates has no impact on the quality of response that the B.C. Wildfire Service provides.
"Let me be clear: the B.C. Wildfire Service's model of how they fight wildfires in B.C. is not changing. The B.C. Wildfire Service continues to provide the same world-class expertise, skill and response that they always have."
The BCWS told CBC News that other sources of funding, including the Community Resiliency Investment Program, are available to municipalities and regional districts to help with costs.
"Last year, community groups in the Venables Valley near Kamloops and in Argenta worked with the B.C. Wildfire Service in various capacities," said Forrest Tower, communications and engagement manager with the BCWS.
"In 2023, community members in Knutsford, near Kamloops, worked on the Ross Moore Lake wildfire for several weeks alongside the BC Wildfire Service," he said.
WATCH | Venables Valley family vows to rebuild after 2024 wildfire:
Community groups already training
Residents in the Venables Valley received basic training just months after the Shetland Creek wildfire tore through the landscape last summer.
"Our board members are very supportive of [the program] because they're hearing from the dozens of groups in our communities that have been asking to be more involved and more engaged both with the regional district and with B.C. Wildfire in an emergency," Viera says.
Veira says at least 10 groups in the regional district have expressed interest in getting training. He expects five or six groups will incorporate as non-profit societies and submit an application for provincial funding.
"Even though I'm sure it's not perfect, it's a step in the right direction."
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