Community Wildfire Protection Plan

Several members of the Fire Department and District of Sooke Staff met with the consultants and other stakeholders from the CRD and Ministry of Forests this past Friday as the community wildfire protection plan moves forward. This plan is being put together thanks to a $100,000.00 grant received from UBCM and the Province of BC to develop a comprehensive plan dealing with wildfires and the urban interface. As a joint effort between the DOS and the CRD, this plan will cover all of Sooke as well as the communities of East Sooke, Otter Point, Jordan River, Shirley, Port Renfrew, Piers Island, Willis Point and the CRD Watershed. To date the consultants have mapped most of the terrain and determined areas most at risk using a variety of formulas from fuel typing, topography, access, availability to firefighting equipment, smoke issues, evacuation and so on. These latest meeting were a chance for the groups involved to provide additional input and rate what locals considered the most serious risks and challenges we face. The next meeting will feature a draft report of the final plan and is expected within the next month or so.