Reducing Wildfire Risk
- kc dyer
- Apr 17
- 3 min read
Low snowpack, but it's not all bad news
This year's low snowpack in parts of British Columbia is leaving forecasters in an ambivalent position when it comes to predicting the chance of wildfires.
BC Wildfire Service’s lead fire weather forecaster Matthew MacDonald reports that the province is already into wildfire season. As of April 16, there are four active wildfires burning in the province, with 13 fires having been successfully extinguished this year.
But will the warm, wet weather experienced on the West Coast this winter mean an increase in wildfire behaviour?
It depends who you ask.
While many forecasters see the low snowpack as a reason for concern, MacDonald isn't as quick to worry. He pointed out that heading into last winter, while there were "some exceptional elevated drought-code values in the centre of the province," the coastal region reported near-normal rainfall. After a dry-ish fall, BC was hit by a number of atmospheric rivers in December, so while very little of the precipitation fell as snow, the province was well and truly soaked.
"We were quite fortunate since we hadn't yet seen any true freeze-up, meaning that our forests were actually able to absorb all this copious moisture, which helped turn down the drought-code values through the driest parts of the province," he said.
MacDonald noted that rainfall amounts in May and June will be key predictors of wildfire behaviour this year.
The District of Squamish is currently contemplating some changes to help protect that community from wildfires. Squamish District Council received the 2026 Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan (CWRP) at their Committee of the Whole (COW) meeting held on April 14.
If District Council endorses the plan prior to April 30, they will continue to be eligible for FireSmart funding for 2026.
Lions Bay's most recent Wildfire Protection Plan was drafted in 2021 by Diamond Head Consulting, with the support of Village Staff.
The report makes 25 key recommendations, nine of which were considered high priority. These included:
Develop prescriptions for proposed fuel-treatment areas. Hazard and risk mapping of the Village to establish areas of the community that are at greatest risk from fire
Seek out a partnership with Metro Vancouver to ensure the treatment of Crown lands adjacent to the Village
Develop neighbourhood FireSmart plans
Review and update bylaws to ensure new construction materials meet current fire retardant standards
Village water operators to receive Incident Command System training
Lions Bay water operators and Metro Vancouver wildfire suppression units should be included as emergency contacts in the event of wildfire
Develop annual FireSmart and fire restriction awareness campaigns
Incorporate wildfire and potential road closures into the evacuation plan
Conduct annual training exercises with Metro Vancouver to enhance response in the event of wildland urban interface fire
Funding for these and other recommendations was primarily to be sought through the UBCM Community Resiliency Investment Program.
Emergency Planning Coordinator (EPC) Mary Brown said that in the past, the EPC worked with staff to form a Drought Action group. A decision hasn't been made as to the formation of another such group this year.
And despite a year-long search, Lions Bay is still without a Fire Chief.
Individuals interested in implementing Fire Smart recommendations to reduce the potential impact of wildfires on their own homes can find the 'FireSmart BC Begins With You' guide HERE.
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