Delta now has a plan to help protect the municipality from wildfires.
Fire chief Dan Copeland and deputy chief Michel Latendresse recently presented the plan to Delta council.
In January 2010, civic politicians approved an application to the Community Wildfire Protection Plan funded by the B.C. Ministry of Forests and Range and administered by the Union of B.C. Municipalities.
The grant provides up to $15,000 for the development of a plan with additional funds for its implementation.
Delta also contributed to the plan through staff time and mapping services.
The purpose of the program is to improve fire prevention and protection measures in interface areas. Interface fires occur where forests and natural vegetation are in proximity to houses and buildings.
In Delta, forest fuels that can be considered dangerous are concentrated in Burns Bog, the Delta Nature Reserve and Watershed Park, Copeland said in a report to council.
Wildfires in Burns Bog represent a significant risk to air quality in the Lower Mainland due to smoke emissions, while fires in Watershed Park and the Delta Nature Reserve could potentially impact a significant number of structures in North Delta.
"Delta Fire and Emergency Services has a comprehensive plan to manage wildfire in all of these key forested areas, supported by advanced training of firefighting staff and maintenance of a full complement of firefighting equipment," Copeland stated in his report.
The plan, which includes 16 recommendations, was put together by B.A. Blackwell and Associates Ltd. and reviewed by Delta fire and municipal staff earlier this year.
The recommendations include public education, through signs in high hazard areas and links on the fire department and municipal websites; additional training for firefighting instructors; and trail maintenance to reduce fuel accumulations.
In his report, the fire chief said many of the recommendations could be implemented within existing budgets.
