Mackenzie Wildfire Advisory Committee

The committee is led by the McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest and the District of Mackenzie in partnership with McLeod Lake Indian Band, BC Wildfire Service, industry, and stakeholders.

Ian LeBlanc, Wildfire Projects Coordinator
250.640.6287 wpc@mlmcf.ca

Dan Boulianne, MWAC Co-Chair
General Manager, McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest
Office 250.997.8155 generalmanager@mlmcf.ca

Andy Barnes, MWAC Co-Chair
Councillor, District of Mackenzie
andy@districtofmackenzie.ca

MWAC Members

Jim Atkinson, Chair of the Board, McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest
Diane Smith, District of Mackenzie Chief Administrative Officer
Jamie Guise, District of Mackenzie Fire Chief
Keinan Carty, District of Mackenzie Deputy Fire Chief & Emergency Program Coordinator
Danielle Dysserinck, District of Mackenzie Deputy Emergency Program Coordinator
Jim Fast, McLeod Lake Indian Band Public Works Surpervisor and Fire Department
Paul Eaton, BC Wildfire Service
Miodrag Tkalec, BC Ministry of FLNRORD
Jarl Sundve, Mackenzie Resident & BC Trappers Association
Jeremy Srochenski, Canfor
Robert MacCarthy, General Manager, East Fraser Fibre
Matt Bowen, General Manager, Duz Cho Logging
Chris Taylor, Centerra Gold / Mt Milligan

Quick Links

MWAC | Committee Terms of Reference

MWAC | Meeting Minutes

2020

TREATMENTS Fuel reduction treatments in progress on 2 high priority areas: John Dahl Park along Little Mac Ski Hill and near the BC Hydro Power substation.

2019

FUNDING Community Resiliency Investment Program (CRIP) approves $181,000 in funding: $161,000 for fuel reduction treatments in 2 high priority areas and $20,000 for FireSmart activities in 2019.

WPC HIRED Ian LeBlanc, Registered Forest Technician, hired as Wildfire Project Coordinator in early May 2019 to lead fuel treatment activities and support community FireSamrt initiatives.

FUNDING McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest committed $150,000 to support community wildfire protection activities and hiring of a Wildfire Project Coordinator.

2018

PUBLIC EVENT First Town Hall meeting held September 2018 to encourage effective information sharing and public engagement on wildfire issues and initiatives in and around our community.

MWAC FORMED Mackenzie Wildfire Advisory Committee formed in August 2018.

Feb 11 2020
Open House at the Mackenzie Rec Centre, 6-9 pm

Jun 11 2019
Community FireSmart Day BBQ hosted by the Mackenzie Fire Rescue Department

May 3-4 2019
Visit the MWAC booth at the Mackenzie Chamber of Commerce Spring Expo Trade Show

Apr 4 2019
Open House at the Mackenzie Rec Centre, 7-9 pm

Sep 2018
First Town Hall meeting held September 2018 to encourage effective information sharing and public engagement on wildfire issues and initiatives in and around our community.

Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs) were created in BC in response to the devastating 2003 Wildfires in Kelowna. A CWPP serves to identify the wildfire risks within and surrounding a community, to describe the potential consequences if a wildfire was to impact the community, and to examine possible ways to reduce the wildfire risk.

CWPPs provide a local framework to review areas of high fire risk and guide the development of emergency plans, emergency response, communication and education programs, bylaw development in areas of fire risk and the management of forest lands adjacent to the community.

In 2017, with generous support from the Union of BC Municipalities and the McLeod Lake Mackenzie Community Forest, the District of Mackenzie underwent a major community wildfire planning initiative to update our 2005 CWPP. The process involved community and industry participants and together they were able to determine major community concerns and identify possible solutions. In July 2018, the CWPP was finalized and formally adopted by Council. Progress is being made to complete the plan’s recommendations.

Quick Links

District of Mackenzie | Mackenzie Community Wildfire Protection Plan (2017)

Are you FireSmart?

FireSmart is a national initiative to help property owners and communities understand the ways in which wildfire might threaten structures and property located in, and close to, forested and wildland areas, and the steps individuals and communities can take to reduce the susceptibility of buildings and property to fire.

As homeowners we can take simple steps to reduce the impact of wildfire on our property and in our communities.

Quick Links

District of Mackenzie | FireSmart Tips

FireSmart BC | FireSmart Tips

FireSmart Canada | FireSmart Tips

Fire Tip Friday!

Tune in to CHMM 103.5 on Friday mornings for tips and tricks on how to keep your home and our community FireSmart!

Quick Links

District of Mackenzie FireSmart Friday Radio Soundbytes | FireSmart Friday Radio Soundbytes

Can your home withstand a wildfire ember shower?

Call the Mackenzie Fire Hall 250-997-4221 or email danielle@districtofmackenzie.ca to request a FireSmart Home Assessment.

FireSmart Home Assessments are a tool that home and property owners can use to identify wildfire hazards that are present in and around their propoerties. Contact us to have a certified FireSmart Assessment Crew member come to your property for a free assessment, or to receive a FireSmart Assessment form that you can work through on your own.

Reducing wildfire risk by managing fuels on the landscape

Fuel treatments that reduce the risk and severity of wildfires include:

• Thinning of conifer overstory trees while maintaining deciduous species to encourage a closed canopy which results in a cool and moist understory;
• Removal of understory conifer stems and prucning of remaining conifer trees (ladder fuels);
• Reducing surface fuel loading (dead and fine debris);
• Encouraging healthy deciduous tree and shrub species with high moisture content.

Treatment Prescriptions for High Priority Areas

In fall 2018, the District of Mackenzie funded completion of fuel treatment prescriptions for high priority areas identified in the Mackenzie CWPP.

Priority Treatment Sites
Two areas within the District of Mackenzie boundary were prioritized for fuel reduction treatments in 2019-2020:

1) The vicinity of the BC Hydro power substation unit.
2) John Dahl Park along Little Mack Ski Hill

Wildfire fuel treatment projects in these areas are currently in progress.

Highway 39 Corridor

Funding applications have been submitted to support assessment and treatment of fuels along Highway 39. The goal is to reduce fuel loading and continuity within 150 m of the highway to maintain a safe emergency exit route, minimize risk to communication infrastructure, and provide access for fire suppression.

Quick Links

District of Mackenzie | Evacuation Plan

District of Mackenzie | Fire Department

Quick Links

BC Wildfire Service | BC Wildfire Information

Quick Links

Emergency Services BC | BC Emergency Services Information