Faulder and Meadow Valley residents gathered for a recent FireSmart event on July 22.
The communities were chosen in 2017 to participate in the FireSmartCanadaCommunity Recognition Program through the Regional District of Okanagan Similkameen.
Funding for the program came through a FireSmart Planning Grant, provided by the Union of B.C. Municipalities Strategic Wildfire Prevention Initiative.
Davis Wildfire Management was hired to serve as a trained local FireSmart representative to oversee the deliver of the program to the community, working with the regional district and Faulder/Meadow Valley FireSmart volunteer board.
The program teaches residents how to reduce the risk of wildfire damage to their land and homes by reducing fuel hazards and provides information about how wildfire threats can be mitigated through measured actions.
Several residents of the Faulder/Meadow Valley community are set up with water tanks, pumps, hoses and other firefighting equipment, so they can provide an initial response to a fire until the B.C. Wildfire Service can attend.
Residents have been provided with an emergency contact list showing those individuals who have equipment available. Posters are displayed on local bulletin boards at the beginning of each fire season reminding everyone to call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 in the event of a fire.
Community members have been removing hazardous materials from the three defined danger zones around homes, with Zone 1, or 10 metres from the home or outbuildings as the most critical.
Members of the FireSmart volunteer board have also provided, at no cost, water barrels along major roads to assist in extinguishing small spot fires.
also undertook to secure and provide (at no cost) water barrels that have been set out along the major roads within the community to assist in extinguishing small spot fires.
Faulder and Meadow Valley residents are hoping to obtain official FireSmart Community designation by early in 2019.
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