TNRD residents demand provincial wildfire response review

KAMLOOPS — The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) says residents are demanding that the province reviews how it fights wildfires going forward by removing some of the red tape that stops the public from helping.

Residents feel they can prevent fires by using their back country knowledge and resources — and the TNRD agrees.

Forests erupting in flames, thick smoke looming over the province, and towns completely burnt to the ground — 2021 is one of the most destructive wildfire seasons British Columbia has ever seen.

“The fact of the matter is that the local people know the area, they know where they can find appropriate places to build fire breaks and that sort of thing, and I think that’s a resource that has been left largely untapped,” said Ken Gillis, the Thompson-Nicola Regional District chair.

The devastation in Monte Creek and Lytton is opening serious discussions between public and government about the red tape around wildfire mitigation. Many affected residents claimed they could have saved their homes long before the fire hit.

“Get the local people involved if there’s a logging contractor in the area with CATs and feller bunchers and so on or even fallers to just look after trees with a chainsaw, get them on the job don’t dither about it the way we seem to have been doing,” Gillis told CFJC News.

After multiple evacuation orders were prompted earlier this week by wildfires threatening major highways and communities, mayors across the TNRD are urging the government to send in the military.

“They would be invaluable in assisting with evacuations, in controlling access and egress from evacuated areas,” he explained.

On Wednesday (Aug. 18), the TNRD sent letters to the prime minister and the minister of defence in hopes of extra federal support and is awaiting a response.

Mother Nature may be giving the Interior a few days to breathe with some rain and cooler temperatures, but wildfires are still burning and Gillis hopes to hear back from the federal government soon.

“Yes, there’s a sigh of relief, but sort of at the same time there’s apprehension. We’re concerned that we could be right back to where we were a few days ago, all it takes is a change in the weather,” Gillis said.

If the wildfire approach doesn’t change, Gillis worries horrible air quality and forests up in flames could be BC’s new summertime reality. But more importantly, families could continue to lose their lifelong homes and livelihoods.

It’s a painful prospect, as the country watches residents of Monte Creek and Lytton rebuild their lives.