Update from the Greater Bragg Creek FireSmart Committee
March 1st marked the start of this year’s wildfire season. But it also coincided with the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) in Canada and many other parts of the world – and profound change.
As we are learning, the COVID-19 pandemic requires you and your family to undertake preventive health measures including physical distancing, thorough hand washing and self-isolation to break the transmission chain. Government action has included declaration of a state of emergency at the time of writing this note, and the recommendation of minimizing contacts in group settings.
Accordingly, the GBC FireSmart Committee is temporarily suspending our activities until the state of emergency has been recinded. This includes Chipper Days and the free RVC-Red Cross flood and fire home inspections. However, we note that the wildfire threats remain in the Bragg area, and encourage residents to continue to FireSmart their properties and visit our Facebook page (GBC FireSmart) for updates. A FireSmart calendar has been prepared which assists with planning FireSmart work by season – please check it out on our FB page. Spring is a great time for trimming and replanting trees, performing home and yard maintenance, and cleaning up deadfall. These activities allow us to enjoy the outdoors that make Bragg Creek a special place to live and reduce the wildfire risk.
You may have observed a vegetation management program undertaken on various RVC land parcels in the Hamlet and Elkana over the past few months. The treatment plans which are designed as fire risk mitigation measures had mixed results, with many residents disappointed by work that was performed. The Committee has met with a number of residents to understand their concerns and is communicating those concerns to the County. We commit to encouraging improvements in communication, engagement, and planning with future FireSmart work on RVC lands. The Committee will also continue to pursue its mandate of supporting residents’ FireSmart activities and sharing FireSmart information and strategies with homeowners so that they can reduce their own wildfire risk.
With the COVID-19 outbreak leading to many disruptions in our daily lives, we encourage you to stay current with ongoing announcements and developments. Stay safe and healthy!
Your GBC FireSmart Committee
