Whereas current fire management practices do not adequately address the unique challenges posed by holdover fires, necessitating a comprehensive and year-round approach to forest fire management; And whereas a comprehensive and year-round forest fire management program can help reduce the risks associated with holdover fires, protect ecosystems, and enhance the safety and well-being of communities: Therefore be it resolved that UBCM urge the provincial government to allocate the appropriate resources and adopt a comprehensive and sustainable year-round forest fire management program to address the threat of holdover fires.
Ministry of Forests The BC Wildfire Service BCWS continues to steadily increase the number of full-time year-round positions to support a holistic approach across all four pillars of emergency management prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Since shifting to a year-round, all-hazard response organization in 2022, the BCWS has seen the number of permanent full-time staff increase by more than 56 percent, with further expansions planned. Ahead of the 2025 season, BCWS now has over 600 year-round positions to enhance operational readiness. These positions include fire crew leaders and front-line staff who work in structure protection, prevention and risk reduction, as well as wildfire land-based recovery. Fires that remain active into the winter are classified as Under Control, based on a combination of suppression activities and local weather conditions. This status indicates that the wildfire is not expected to spread outside of pre-established boundaries. The BCWS monitors these fires for smoke and heat signatures, which could indicate new growth. Over the winter, the BCWS manages overwintering fires by establishing fire guards where needed to protect people and infrastructure, as well as actively monitoring overwintering fires and reporting on these fires publicly. In the Prince George Fire Centre, the BCWS has been taking advantage of frozen ground conditions this winter to get ahead of overwintering fires in the Fort Nelson Zone. Many of these fires are in areas with a buildup of forest materials and challenging terrain, which becomes even more difficult to work in once the ground thaws. To reduce the risk of flare-ups later this year, the Prince George Fire Centre has collaborated with local industry, provincial partners, and the BCWS Predictive Services Unit to trial a winter suppression strategy focused on getting equipment into areas that are usually inaccessible during the snow-free season including: - Starting in February, BCWS deployed over 15 pieces of heavy equipmentincluding dozers, feller-bunchers, skidders, and excavatorsinto priority fire areas. - Crews constructed more than 87 kilometres of access routes, machine guards, helipads, and fuel-free control lines. - Work was focused on locations with deep organic soils and known hot spots, identified through infrared scans and local assessments. - Ice bridges and existing features like seismic lines were used to access remote areas while limiting new ground disturbance. - Rehabilitation work is already underway to restore machine guards and stream crossings where needed.