Community wildfire resiliency plan.

Creston’s Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan is both a localized risk assessment and an action plan to improve wildfire resiliency within Creston’s Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). It applies the seven FireSmart disciplines: Education, Legislation and Planning, Development Considerations, Interagency Cooperation, Cross-training, Emergency Planning, and Vegetation Management.

The Risk

Conditions on private land can often result in the fire hazard being much higher than in the surrounding forest if FireSmart principles aren’t used. Houses and their exterior construction materials, landscaping vegetation, cars, barbeque propane tanks, and more (anything that is flammable or combustible) is available fuel for a wildfire.

  • Creston is in a provincially defined Wildland Urban Interface that has a Risk Class of “2”, which reflects the second-highest wildfire risk rating and there is a “High” or “Extreme” threat rating to much of the surrounding area.

  • In Creston, the steep southerly-facing forested slopes in the northeast of the community pose the most significant wildland fire risk to the community. 

  • Much of Creston’s land (73%) is private and cannot be assessed.

During extreme wildfire events, most home destruction occurs from flying embers, which can be transported long distances. FireSmart homes are less likely to ignite by embers. 

The Plan

The Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan (2023) provides 46 recommended action items that will help Creston become more resilient to the impacts of wildfire. 

The below graph shows the progress made on the recommended actions. 

While there has been a lot of success with the development of the Creston FireSmart program and the implementation of recommended actions, there is clearly still work to be done. 

Below are a list of some of the accomplishments as well as areas that need work. 

Planned

  • Conduct critical infrastructure FireSmart assessments on Town-owned buildings
  • Release an annual FireSmart report to the public
  • Engage with local plant centres to implement the FireSmart BC Plant Program

Ongoing

  • Update and maintain Creston’s FireSmart webpage
  • Provide free FireSmart Home assessments
  • Engage with regional and provincial stakeholders through the Creston Wildfire Resiliency Committee

Completed

  • Develop the FireSmart program with the Town of Creston and hire a FireSmart Coordinator
  • Provide Creston Fire Rescue members with FireSmart training
  • Create a roof-top sprinkler program

Not Started

  • Develop a wildfire landscaping bylaw
  • Work with electrical power providers, rail line owners, and the Ministry of Transportation to maintain vegetation on right-of-ways
  • Implement a community chipper program

To learn more about the work being done on the recommendations outlined in the Creston Wildfire Resiliency Plan, speak with our FireSmart Coordinator at crestonfiresmart@creston.ca.