Volunteer Days

Upcoming

On Saturday, October 21^st 2023, Nelson Fire & Rescue Services is hosting a community FireSmart volunteer day in the lovely Art Gibbon’s Park in Rosemont.  This event will help reduce the threat from wildfire in the area by removing excess fuel on the ground and around trees.  The site will be prepared ahead of time by a contract crew who will cut up fallen timber, buck logs and prune trees.  Volunteers will work together with local firefighters to carry the woody debris to the trail's edge for chipping and removal.  This is a great opportunity to work together with your neighbours and protect our city from wildfire!

Lunch and refreshments will be provided; however, pre-registration is required.  

Please click here for event details and to register, or call 250-352-8116 for more information.

Completed

Thank you for making our spring volunteer day a huge success!  Local volunteers joined Nelson Fire and Rescue in May 2023 to clear wildfire fuel from the top side of the Rail Trail. Debris and ladder fuels were removed to prevent wildfires from spreading at the edge of the city. Successful wildfire mitigation takes effort on many levels, and we hope to host another volunteer day soon! 

Open House

This year’s Wildfire Risk Reduction Open House provided a great opportunity for residents to engage directly with staff and elected representatives from the Regional District of Central Kootenay (RDCK), City of Nelson, Ministry of Forests and BC Parks to better understand:

1. The wildfire risk within and adjacent to our communities;

2. Activities currently underway to reduce this wildfire risk; and

3. What residents can do to reduce the risk of wildfire on their properties.

Thank you to all of the attendees for the great questions and engaging conversation!  We look forward to next year’s event.

Ongoing Projects

The interface areas surrounding Nelson are a unique mix of land ownership, including private, Crown, Municipal, BC Parks, and RDCK. This requires interagency collaboration to reduce potential wildfire intensity and create defendable space around our communities. The Nelson and Area Wildfire Risk Reduction Committee is committed to reducing the impact of wildfire by working closely on wildfire mitigation projects, sharing information and resources, and keeping our residents informed. They work together with BC FireSmart, local homeowners, agencies, and land managers to help keep our communities safe.
 
Currently, the RDCK and the City of Nelson are working on updating their Community Wildfire Resiliency Plans (CWRP) that will provide Nelson and RDCK communities with information and guidance to continue to reduce the risk and impacts of wildfire. Both groups have undertaken fuel mitigation projects to aid in this prevention. BC Parks has developed the West Arm Provincial Park Fire Management Plan to protect park values in the event of a wildfire. BC Parks has also undertaken some fuel mitigation work within West Arm Provincial Park, as well as within Kokanee Creek Provincial Park. Visit www.rdck.ca/wildfireriskreduction for more information about what is being done to reduce the risk of wildfire in your area and what you and your community can do to help.

Check here for current events being hosted in our region, or click the links below to follow Nelson Fire Rescue Services on social media to stay in the loop.
 
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