Okanagan fire study recommends curbing development in high-risk areas

A survey into the devastating wildfires that struck British Columbia’s Okanagan portion successful 2023 has recommended that authorities and manufacture bounds improvement successful high-fire-risk areas.

The study, conducted by non-profit FP Innovations connected the petition of the BC FireSmart Committee and the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, looked into the 2023 Grouse Complex of wildfires that included the McDougall Creek blaze.

The fires acceptable much than 300 buildings ablaze, forced much than 30,000 radical to fly and caused astir $480 cardinal successful insured losses.

The lawsuit survey recovered that embers and not nonstop interaction with advancing flames were “almost exclusively” liable for helping wildfires determination into neighbourhoods.

The study besides recovered that the beingness of flammable materials wrong 10 metres of structures played a important relation successful whether it survived the wildfires.

The study’s recommendations included limiting development, expanding zoning bylaw setbacks for structures successful heavy forested areas, and improving landscaping and fencing regulations to “establish non-combustible zones astir structures.”

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“Directing caller municipality development, beryllium it residential, commercial, oregon industrial, towards existing municipality centres and assemblage hubs tin trim municipality sprawl and minimize the instauration of isolated, susceptible developments successful agrarian areas,” the study says.

“By considering and adopting these pathways, jurisdictions tin importantly heighten their community’s resilience to wildfires.”

Other recommendations see looking into fire-resistant material, enhancing regularisation enforcement successful Wildfire Development Permit Areas, and for residents to amended negociate combustible items and vegetation connected property.