This summer saw unprecedented wildfire activity in the region, particularly in the Chilcotin where dry conditions coupled with hectares of dead pine fueled fires in almost every corner of the Plateau. What was concerning about this year's fires wasn't so much the sizes or numbers but the widespread threats to homes, ranches and populated areas and the resulting evacuations. The City of Williams Lake was not immune from the threat of interface fire as the Meldrum Complex burned toward the Fraser River in mid August. Given the conditions and weather forecasts at the time, the City and CRD, in consultation with the Ministry of Forests initiated Evacuation Alerts and Orders over areas between the City and the Fraser. The concern was that predicted winds could throw the fire over the Fraser, creating a potentially dangerous situation for greater Williams Lake property owners and residents. Fortunately the predicted conditions did not materialize and the fires remained west of the Fraser. What did materialize however was an incredible learning experience for the the City and partner agencies as we implemented the City's Emergency Plan and began preparing for worst case scenarios.
The City joined the CRD's Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) as all emergency response agencies were already present in the EOC and communication lines were well established. As the possibility of a City evacuation increased, the City established our own EOC at the new Fire Hall in order to concentrate on evacuation planning and response, involving the RCMP, Ministry of Transportation and Interior Health. The City maintained a presence in the CRD EOC, ensuring communication and coordination between the two EOCs.
Although the City's emergency plan contemplates mass evacuation and provides a framework for initiating such an endeavour, there were a number of logistical details that had to be worked out, particularly regarding the evacuation of vulnerable, disabled and elderly. With the appropriate agencies at the table, we were able to develop a detailed multi-agency evacuation plan that will ensure an effective and orderly evacuation should it be required in the future.
Interface fires are becoming the norm throughout the Province with global warming and dying forests. Williams Lake is surrounded by forest, much of it under attack from Mountian Pine Beetle and and an increasing presence of Fir Beetle. It is only a matter of time until there is a fire at our doorstep that will require the evacuation of portions of, or all of the greater Williams Lake area. Thanks to this recent 'close call', I am extremely confident that we have suffient plans and emergency response structures in place to effectively and safely evacuate our residents should the need arise.
