Community Wildfire Protection Plan Town of Qualicum Beach, BC

April 2007

Developed through a grant from the Union of British Columbia Municipalities to: the Qualicum Beach Fire Department

Prepared by: Strathcona Forestry Consulting [email protected]

GIS Mapping by: Madrone Environmental Services Ltd.

2007 Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 2 Support for the Community Wildfire Protection Plan for the Town of Qualicum Beach is gratefully acknowledged from:

™ Ministry of Forests and Range

™ Union of British Columbia Municipalities

™ Regional District of Nanaimo

™ Town of Qualicum Beach

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Community Wildfire Protection Plan –

plan: derived from the Latin planum – level ground, foundation:

►a detailed program of action ►a large-scale map ►a method for achieving an end

Webster’s Ninth New Collegiate Dictionary

Photo 1. Martin Mars waterbomber near the Town of Qualicum Beach. Q.B.F.D.

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CONTENTS

Glossary of Terms 5

Synopsis 8

SECTION 1. INTRODUCTION and PLANNING PROCESS 9

SECTION 2. PROFILE of the TOWN of QUALICUM BEACH 12

SECTION 3. PREPARATION of a COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN 42

SECTION 4. HAZARD-RISK ANALYSIS 44

SECTION 5. FIRE BEHAVIOUR 47

SECTION 6. HIRV COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENT 56

SECTION 7. WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE FIRE HAZARD RATING 57

SECTION 87. MITIGATIVE ACTIONS – A DISCUSSION 62

SECTION 9. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – ACTION PLAN 71

SECTION 10. IMPLEMENTATION 76

Photo 2. Mural at the Town of Qualicum Beach.

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GLOSSARY OF TERMS

Biogeoclimatic units: geographic areas influenced by similar regional climates

Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC): a system that groups similar segments of the landscape into categories of a hierarchical classification system that combines three major classifications: climate, vegetation, and site

Brunisol Soil: Soil Great Group with weak soil development; common on southeastern Vancouver Island

Buildup Index: (combines Duff Moisture Code and Drought Code) – a numeric rating of the total amount of fuel available for combustion

CDFmm: moist maritime Coastal Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic Zone

CFFDRS: Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System – a model developed by Forestry Canada for evaluating forest fire danger

CWPP: Community Wildfire Protection Plan

CWHxm: Very Dry maritime Coastal Western Hemlock Subzone

Crown Fires: burn foliage and branches in the upper canopy, and also consume surface and ground fuels

DC: Drought Code – a numerical rating of the average moisture content of deep, compact organic layers

Development Permits / Development Permit Areas: The Local Government Act provides for the designation of Development Permit Areas for specific purposes, including protection of development from hazardous conditions (i.e., wildfire)

DMC: Duff Moisture Code – a numerical rating of the average moisture content of loosely compacted organic layers of moderate depth

Ecosystem: for purposes of the BEC, an ecosystem is defined as a particular plant community and its associated topography, soil, and climate

FBP: Fire Behaviour Prediction system – modeling that predicts the rate of spread, fuel consumption, and intensity of wildfires

Field mapping: mapping of physical features and key resources

Fire Behaviour: the manner in which fuel ignites, flame develops, and fire spreads

Fire Behaviour Triangle: three elements of the fire environment affect fire behaviour: fuel, weather, and topography

Fire Danger: a description of the combination of both constant and variable factors that affect the initiation, spread, and difficulty to control a wildfire on an area

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 6 Fireflow: water supply for firefighting

Fire Season: officially April 1 to October 31

Fuel: any substance which will ignite and burn

FireSmart Fuel Modified Zones: (distances vary according to location, lot size, aspect, slope, etc.): Priority Zone 1 (fuel removal 0-10 m around structure); Priority Zone 2 (fuel reduction or conversion 10-30 m around structure); Priority Zone 3 (fuel reduction 30-100 m around structure)

Fuel loading: total amount of vegetative fuel available for potential combustion

Fuel treatment: manipulation of vegetative (and structural) fuels through harvesting, chipping, burning, composting, or other means

Fuel treatment priorities: management of vegetative (and structural) fuels prioritised according to hazard, risk, safety, funding, etc.

FWI: Fire Weather Index – accounts for the effects of fuel moisture and wind on ignition potential and probable fire behaviour

GIS: Geographic Information System – GIS is a computer technology that uses a geographic information system as an analytic framework for managing and integrating data; solving a problem; or understanding a past, present, or future situation

Ground fires: burn in the duff layer (organic soil) and decaying woody material beneath the forest floor

Hazard: the product of risk, vulnerability, exposure, and the capacity of human to respond to extreme conditions

HIRV: Hazard, Impact, Risk and Vulnerability – an analysis model – designed as a community based- approach to sustainable hazard mitigation

Impact: assessed through the use of social, environmental, economic, and political factors

Interface fires: fires that have the potential to simultaneously involve both structures (and/or other manmade developments) and wildland fuels

ISI: Initial Spread Index – a numerical rating of the expected rate of spread of a fire

Ladder Fuels: aerial fuels that help spread a fire upward into the tree canopy

MoFR: BC Ministry of Forests and Range

Nanaimo Lowland Ecosection: coastal plain on the south-eastern margin of Vancouver Island. The Ecoregion is the product of a relatively dry, mild climate in the rain shadow of the Vancouver Island Mountain Range. It is one of the most ecologically diverse areas in North America.

Ortho photos: 3-dimensional mapping developed from satellite imagery and digital elevation models

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Podzol: Soil Great Group characterised by podzolic B horizon

Priority Zones: See FireSmart Fuel Modified Zones

Probability of ignition: for the purposes of this report, the probability of ignition can be accounted for by assigning a higher hazard rating to areas where fires are most likely to be started

Risk: the measure of probability of occurrence of an event and the expected severity, and an analysis of potential factors (human or natural) which can contribute to the potential for fire occurrence

RDN: Regional District of Nanaimo

Slash loading: branches, limbs, and coarse woody debris left on the forest floor after logging

Suppression constraints: obstacles to extinguishing a fire (i.e., little or no water, difficult access, limited manpower, challenging weather conditions, etc.)

Surface fires: start on the forest floor. Surface fires burn needles, twigs, logs, and branches on the forest floor, and elevated fuels (lower branches of trees; partially downed trees; tall shrubs) above the forest floor

UBCM: Union of British Columbia Municipalities

Vulnerability: the ability of people, property, industry, resources, and areas of environmental and historic concern to weather, resist, or recover from the impacts of a hazard in the long term as well as the short term

Wildland urban interface: the zone where structures, businesses, and other human activities and pursuits are situated among trees and other combustible vegetation

Wildland urban interface fire hazard rating classes: Low – urban, suburban, and farm areas with modified forest fuels, generally flat terrain; no readily combustible vegetation; low risk to adjacent development Moderate – partially modified forest fuels; scattered mixed forest in suburban areas; moderate to good water availability; homes and structures may be threatened High – areas of little or no fuel modification; continuous ground fuels; sloping terrain with/without gullies present; moderate to low availability of water; some areas hard to access Extreme – areas of little or no fuel modification, continuous ground fuels; rolling and gullied terrain; rock outcrops may be present; low water availability; some inaccessible terrain; may or may not be heavy use areas; direct threat to homes/structures/values

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 8 COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN

TOWN OF QUALICUM BEACH, BC

SYNOPSIS

1. The wildland urban interface is the zone where structures and other human developments meet and/or intermix with wildland fuels (vegetation). Successful fire suppression over the last fifty years has resulted in high fuel loads in forests across British Columbia. Increasing population density at the wildland urban interface has led to a rising number of anthropogenic causes of fires.

2. Scientific evidence in the recently released United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007) overwhelmingly points to the human-caused burning of fossil fuels as the cause of global warming. Climate change is linked to a pattern of warmer, drier summers in many areas. Global warming is predicted to extend the duration of fire seasons in fire-prone locales, and, as a result, the number of wildfires is expected to increase dramatically. Regions with mild climates (i.e., southeast coast of Vancouver Island) are particularly vulnerable.

3. In 2006, the Qualicum Beach Fire Department received a grant from the Union of British Columbia Municipalities (UBCM) to develop a Community Wildfire Community Plan (CWPP) to: 1) define risk areas for interface fires; 2) identify measures necessary to mitigate risks; and 3) outline an action plan (see Executive Summary) for improving fire protection and prevention in the interface. As directed by the UBCM, the Community Wildfire Protection Plan for the Town of Qualicum Beach provides a general introduction of the community, including a description of internal and surrounding forests. In addition, the plan contains a brief overview of biogeoclimatic features, and a description of historical fire factors.

4. Risk areas for interface fires in and near the Town of Qualicum Beach were identified through standard fire danger and risk-hazard analyses. Fire behaviour modeling was incorporated in the assessment of wildfire hazard. Hazard assessment criteria were reviewed with the Qualicum Beach Fire Department in the development of interface mapping. Several areas of the wildland urban interface zone in or near the Town were identified with an elevated interface fire hazard rating.

5. Measures to reduce the threat of interface fire were reviewed with the Qualicum Beach Fire Department and the Town of Qualicum Beach. Public education is essential to reduce the threat of wildfire. Mitigative measures to improve fire protection and prevention in the interface zone should address: vegetation management; structural guidelines for construction; and planning tools for local government.

6. A community action plan to improve fire protection and prevention in the interface zone was formulated in collaboration with the Qualicum Beach Fire Department and the Town of Qualicum Beach. Recommendations in the Community Wildfire Protection Plan will help the Town clarify and refine priorities for the protection of life, property, and essential infrastructure and resources in the interface zone. Potential areas for fuel reduction pilot projects are identified. The CWPP’s recommendations should be reviewed and endorsed by local government, in consultation with regional government and neighbouring jurisdictions. A public review process is recommended.

7. Ultimately, the responsibility for the success of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan lies with local planning officials. No plan is completed until it is implemented.

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SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION AND PLANNING PROCESS

BACKGROUND

The wildland urban interface (interface) zone is commonly described as the area where homes, farms, commercial establishments, key infrastructure, industrial installations, recreational developments, and other human activities are situated among trees and other combustible vegetation (FireSmart, Protecting Your Community from Wildfire, 2nd Edition, 2003). Fires that have the potential to involve both structures (and/or other manmade developments) and wildland fuels are known as interface fires. Interface communities are found across Canada.

The threat of fire in the interface zone stems from two sources – fires can move from the forest, bush, or grassland areas into a community, or, vice versa, from the community into adjacent wildlands. Wildfire does not differentiate between fuels in forests, communities, or backyards. If left unchecked, fire will spread rapidly through flammable grasses, shrubs, forest undergrowth and trees to consume homes, businesses, and other structures.

Interface areas range from sharp geographical edges (i.e., residential subdivisions bordering a forest), to “intermix” areas (i.e., isolated structures in the midst of a forest). The density of the interface zone ranges from 1 to 1,000 structures per square kilometre (BC Ministry of Forests and Range). The extent of the interface zone varies widely according to aspect, topography, local weather patterns, and vegetative cover. Logan Lake, a small community in BC’s interior, has defined a 5-km interface management zone, based on the distance embers have been carried by winds in recent wildfires.

Wildfires are a part of the natural ecological cycle of forests in British Columbia. Wildfires have been a major and regular occurrence for thousands of years. British Columbia’s climate and topography make the province particularly vulnerable to wildfires.

Human encroachment onto forested lands exacerbates the threat of wildfire in the interface zone. The presence of people near wildland areas has resulted in aggressive fire suppression activities to protect life and limit property damage. As a result, the natural pattern of frequent low-intensity fires has been disrupted. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (2007) predicts that global warming will extend the duration of fire seasons, and increase the number of wildfires. At risk are loss of life, property, infrastructure, and resources.

Q.B.F.D. Photo 3. Martin Mars waterbomber.

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COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN PROGRAM

For decades, British Columbia’s Ministry of Forests and Range (MoFR) has advocated community-based interface planning. After serious interface fires at Penticton and Salmon Arm in the 1990’s, the provincial Auditor General urged communities across the province to take action. Public awareness of the danger of interface fires peaked in the hot dry summer of 2003, when unprecedented wildfires ravaged BC’s interior communities (Photo 4). “Firestorm 2003” destroyed 260,000 ha of forest, 334 homes and businesses, forced the evacuation of more than 45,000 people from their communities, and resulted in the loss of lives of three fire fighting airmen.

Photo 4. Firestorm 2003, Kelowna.

In the aftermath of Firestorm 2003, the province of BC commissioned The Honourable Gary Filmon to review the damage caused by the devastating forest fires. The “Firestorm 2003 Provincial Review” provided necessary impetus for BC communities to participate in strategic interface planning.

The Firestorm report recommended the province of BC take a leading role in the development of strategic interface management plans in cooperation with local governments. In 2005, the provincial government launched the Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP) program.

The Community Wildfire Protection Plan program is directed at medium- to high-risk interface communities. The program is administered by the Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) and funded by the Ministry of Forests and Range (MoFR).

The purpose of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan is to establish a cooperative framework under which interface management programs are developed and implemented to protect human and natural resources values in an effective and efficient manner.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 11 The objective of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan is to improve community safety, and reduce the risk of property damage.

British Columbia’s Ministry of Forests and Range and the Union of British Columbia Municipalities advocate community-based wildfire planning in order to: • Familiarise local government and elected officials and staff with wildfire protection an fire management issues • Influence community plans to acknowledge fire threat areas when considering development • Promote bylaws that acknowledge FireSmart • Identify high priority areas for fuel management activities • Facilitate discussions with key stakeholders to encourage a cooperate approach to fuel management • Encourage public education around wildfire protection and the potential need for fuel management activities In addition, community-based wildfire planning acknowledges the vital role of local and provincial fire fighting agencies in fire prevention and protection. Fire suppression in the interface zone entails one of the most dangerous operations for fire fighters.

Photo 5. Wildland fire fighter uses drip torch to create a back fire against a wild fire.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 12 SECTION 2: PROFILE OF THE TOWN OF QUALICUM BEACH

SETTING The Town of Qualicum Beach is an attractive coastal resort community that overlooks a crescent-shaped sandy beach on the sheltered eastern coast of Vancouver Island (Figures 1, 2, 3, & 4; Photo 6). Neighbouring jurisdictions include the City of Parksville in the east, and smaller rural communities – Dashwood, Qualicum Bay, Coombs-Hilliers – to the south, west, and east. A desirable retirement destination, the Town of Qualicum Beach is also a bedroom community for larger island centres within an hour’s drive: Nanaimo, Courtenay, and Port Alberni. The Town of Qualicum Beach forms part of the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN). The Town occupies a land area of approximately 12.5 km2.

Figures 1, 2, 3, & 4; Photo 6. The Town of Qualicum Beach enjoys a scenic setting on the sheltered, eastern coast of Vancouver Island.

As an environmentally conscious community, the Town of Qualicum Beach balances a quality urban lifestyle with an attractive natural environment. Controlled development

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 13 maintains the Town’s reputation as a beautiful resort community. The Town is noted for its well-maintained homes, gardens, and guest accommodations. Residents benefit from a “relaxed lifestyle and supportive community”. Virtually “every sport, recreation and cultural activity is available in Qualicum Beach” (Town of Qualicum Beach website). Several world- class golf courses are located within the region.

Photo 7. The Town is renowned for its well-maintained properties and colourful gardens.

Photo 8. Several world-class golf courses are located in or near the Town of Qualicum Beach.

The Town’s scenic setting, mild climate, and lifestyle amenities have resulted in significant population growth in recent years. Visitor population numbers, too, are rising steadily, especially during the summer season. Oceanside communities on Vancouver Island’s southeast coast, including the Town of Qualicum Beach, are experiencing some of the most rapid growth rates in British Columbia (Statistics Canada; Regional District of Nanaimo). The pressures of growth, combined with increasing activities in the Town’s interface zone, are a cause of concern for fire officials, who have responded in recent years to a growing number of human-caused interface fires.

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HISTORY

Humans occupied the northern Pacific coastal region for thousands of years before Spanish explorers first visited the waters off Qualicum several hundred years ago. The First Nations people who lived along the coast relied heavily on marine life, but also used available resources from coastal forests. According to an old legend of the Salish First Nation (who once inhabited much of the Pacific northwest coast), the name Qualicum means “where the dog salmon run”.

The establishment of the Hudson’s Bay Company (“the Company”) in the 19th Century in Victoria and Nanaimo prompted exploration and development on Vancouver Island. Late in the 19th Century, the Company commissioned Adam Horne to find a land route between the east and west coasts of the island. Horne’s successful trip inaugurated the Horne Lake Trail used by settlers and traders traveling to Port Alberni. In 1864, the explorer, Dr. Robert Brown, travelled south from the Horne Lake to discover an attractive tract of land extending past the Qualicum River.

The road from Parksville was extended to Qualicum Beach in 1894. In 1906 a railway official who visited Qualicum was so impressed with the location he sponsored a land development company. Real estate around Qualicum took on special interest. The first townsite subdivision was made in 1909. The Merchants Trust and Trading Company built golf links and a hotel in 1913. The railway reached Qualicum in 1914.

Additional hotels were built after World War 1 came to an end, and the town continued to prosper. Several lumber mills provided local employment and building materials for new homes, hotels, and institutions (Photo 10).

Photo 9. The old schoolhouse (“TOSH”), built in 1896, was the fourth school to be used in the area after the wagon road was extended from Nanaimo to Qualicum Beach. TOSH now operates as a popular arts and cultural centre in the heart of Qualicum Beach.

Photo 10. Qualicum College opened its doors in 1935 as Canada’s most westerly private school. It is now a popular beachfront hotel.

In a travel guide written almost half a century ago (Vancouver Island Milestones, 1958), author C.P. Lyons remarked on the “great changes” that had taken place in Qualicum since the Second World War – there was a “stepped-up business tempo as seen in the many fine new motels, the modern ‘village’, and other catering services”.

Structural fires over the years have destroyed several of the older heritage hotels and buildings at Qualicum Beach.

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POPULATION

Since the 1950’s, the Town’s population has grown steadily. Provincial government estimates place the current population of the Town of Qualicum Beach at approximately 9,000.

Figure 5. Town of Qualicum Beach population 1951-2005

Figure 6. Canada Census figures in 2001 placed the median age at the Town of Qualicum Beach at 58.1 years.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 16 Canada census figures from 2001 pegged the median age of the Town of Qualicum Beach residents at 58.1, the highest in Canada per capita (for municipalities). Residents over the age of 65 years of age accounted for 38% of the town’s population. Unofficial results from the 2006 census indicate that older age classes continue to dominate the Town’s demographics. Despite a population skewed towards older age classes, the Town has no shortage of volunteer fire fighters (representing a range of ages). There is currently has a wait list of prospective firefighting volunteers. The Fire Department at the Town of Qualicum Beach is headed by Chris Jancowski, who, in his early 30’s, is one of the youngest fire chiefs in the province of British Columbia.

Photo 11. The median age of residents in Qualicum Beach is the highest per capita of all Canadian municipalities.

Approximately 2% of the population of Qualicum Beach is local First Nation. There are no Indian Reserves in the Town of Qualicum Beach (Statistics Canada).

Photos 12,13. The Salish First Nation named Qualicum as the place “where the dog salmon run”.

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ECONOMY

Photo 14. The Town of Qualicum Beach is popular with tourists.

The economy of the Town of Qualicum Beach is generated by a mix of agriculture, primary manufacturing, and service industries. The largest employer in the region, the service sector (which includes retail wholesale trade, transportation, finance, insurance and real estate, business services, accommodations, golf and country club resorts, food services and other services), accounts for nearly 70% of overall employment. The trade sector, which includes both retail and wholesale trade, accounts for approximately 20% of overall employment.

The Regional District of Nanaimo forecasts that the service sector will show the strongest growth at the Town of Qualicum Beach. Manufacturing is expected to experience modest growth, while construction and retail trade are forecast to show significant growth. Health and social services are expected to grow in association with the town’s aging population.

Photos 15 & 16. The service sector is important to the economy of the Town of Qualicum Beach.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 18 Forestry is the chief resource industry in the area. Private industrial forest operations are located within the Town of Qualicum Beach, and along the Town’s borders. TimberWest operates on lands west of French Creek (Photos 17,18). Access to the area is by locked gate. Island Timberlands owns forest lands fringing the eastern portion of the Town (Photo 19).

Photos 17,18. The Qualicum Beach Fire Department has responded to several calls in recent years to extinguish bush fires on privately managed forest lands in the Town.

In recent years the Qualicum Beach Fire Department was called out to respond to several human-caused fires in logging slash in different forest tenures in the area. Provincial and local fire officials determined the fires were not caused by the logging operations. As a precautionary measure, Island Timberlands reduced surface fuels 10 to 15 m back from road areas on recently harvested lands.

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Photo 19. Island Timberlands operates in the western area of the Town.

Forests in the area are generally comprised of second (and third) growth coniferous stands dominated by Douglas-fir. Municipally owned forestry resources in the Town include the airport and heritage forest, community park, and District Lot 10 near the Little Qualicum River.

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PATTERNS OF GROWTH

The Town of Qualicum Beach is roughly bounded by the Inland Island Highway (19) to the south, the coastline on the Strait of Georgia to the north, the Little Qualicum River to the west, and French Creek to the east (Figures 7,8).

Figure 7. Satellite view of the Town of Qualicum Beach.

The Town of Qualicum Beach is characterised by its small- scale, village-like character and lack of dispersed, highway oriented “ribbon” development. The Town is centred around the well-defined, compact commercial core (Photo 20).

Photo 20. The Town Hall.

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Fig. 8. Land use patterns at the Town of Qualicum Beach. OCP

An Urban Containment Boundary designed to define urban areas and limit urban sprawl has been established at the Town of Qualicum Beach. Within the Urban Containment boundary are residential areas embracing the town centre, and subdivisions radiating outward – including Eaglecrest, Oceanside, Qualicum Woods, The Evergreens, and Chartwell.

The Beach Commercial Area contains a mix of scattered commercial buildings, resort accommodations, older cabins and modern single-family residential homes.

Photo 21. Beachfront accommodation (E.J. Hughes).

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 22 Rural areas to the west, south, and east of the Urban Containment Boundary constitute the Town’s protected Greenbelt Area. An Estate Residential area comprised of large, heavily forested parcels of land (northeast portion of town along coast) forms part of the Greenbelt, as does the Town-owned District Lot 10 to the west.

Q.B.F.D. Photos 22,23. An extensive rural area lies between the Town and the Inland Island Highway.

To the south, between the Town and the Inland Island Highway, is an extensive rural area (Photos 22, 23,& 24 ). The Town is participating with the Regional District of Nanaimo in the Regional Growth Strategy Plan implementation initiative on long-term planning for rural areas. The Town has considered expanding its boundaries in order to gain full control of all land use matters, and protect fringe greenbelt areas in perpetuity.

Photo 24. Rural roads at Qualicum Beach traverse large areas of forest lands.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 23 As a result of the community’s desires to maintain its small town atmosphere and protect the rural Greenbelt area, the Town of Qualicum Beach has a limited capacity for development. The Official Community Plan suggests that future residential development will be accommodated through a combination of small-scale subdivision clusters, infill of existing vacant lots, and multi-family residential developments. Opportunities to mitigate risks in fire threat areas should be encouraged in development planning.

Photo 25. A Greenbelt area ensures protection of rural areas outside the Town’s Urban Containment Boundary.

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PARKS AND OPEN SPACES

The Qualicum Beach Parks and Natural Spaces Plan, in concert with the Official Community Plan, designates strategies to protect open space and environmental resources important to the community.

The Town of Qualicum Beach manages several local parks, ranging in size from small playground parks to the 35 ha Heritage Forest (a natural reserve located close to the centre of town), and 44 ha Community Forest (east of Memorial Road). The Qualicum Beach Fire Department has responded to a number of fires in the Town’s parks in recent years. Early detection was successful in containing the fires to small areas. The Fire Department is concerned about a variety of fuel hazards in local parks: bark mulch trails, downed woody debris, variable fuel loading, and ladder fuels.

The Brown Heritage Forest contains several trails, a salmon stream, and old-growth Douglas-fir. In 2006, a human-caused fire at Heritage Forest was extinguished by the Qualicum Beach Fire Department (Photos 26-28). Prompt detection and rapid response prevented the fire from spreading.

Photos 26, 27,& 28. Charred cedar snag (left) at the Town’s Brown Heritage Forest was the scene of a recent fire extinguished by the Qualicum Beach Fire Department (centre and right).

Photos: Q.B.F.D.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 25 The Milner Gardens and Woodland, a privately- managed heritage site in northeastern Qualicum, preserves the stately Milner House (built in 1933) and surrounding gardens and forests. The site is located in the Estate Residential area of Qualicum, and forms part of the Town’s Greenbelt area. The Estate Residential area contains older combustible structures on large wooded lots. The parcels have limited access to a community water supply, due to their large size. Photo 29. Milner Gardens and Woodland.

Photo 30. Older forest type at the Milner estate.

The Residential Estate area is comprised of long narrow, forested lots. Hydrants are limited to locations along Highway 19. Emergency road access is problematic in the Residential Estate area, where the majority of lots have one-way egress (long, narrow driveways).

The Town’s Greenbelt Area contains a network of trails, providing scenic recreational biking and hiking opportunities. Well-used hiking trails follow French Creek and the Little Qualicum River. The area south of Kaplar Road is popular with mountain bikers. The Marshall Stevenson Wildlife Area, a federally managed wildlife reserve at the mouth of the Little Qualicum River, provides restricted access for hiking and wildlife viewing.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 26 The Qualicum Beach Fire Department has responded in recent years to a number of human-caused fires along trails in the Town’s Greenbelt Area. Early detection and prompt response were successful in preventing the fires from spreading to surrounding forest lands and structures.

Q.B.F.D.

Photos 30, 31, & 32. A recent brush fire on the wooded hillside above Little Qualicum River was extinguished by the Qualicum Beach Fire Rescue Department.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 27 Several world-class golf courses are located in or close to the Town of Qualicum Beach. The Qualicum Beach Memorial Golf Club is a publicly owned course acquired by the Town in 1981. The course is well-maintained, well-used, and serviced by a network of hydrants. There is a low risk of fire at the course. Other golf links, such as Eaglecrest, are also well- maintained. Hydrants in the Eaglecrest area are limited to the highway perimeter.

Glengarry Golf course, which borders forest lands owned by Island Timberlands, is partially located on a peat bog. There are limited hydrants in the area. A significant development is pending in area.

Photo 33. Glengarry Golf course.

Residential subdivisions surround many of the golf links in the area. In the event of an interface fire, well-maintained golf courses with irrigated fairways, and perimeter paths and roadways can act as effective firebreaks.

Q.B.F.D. Photo 34. Qualicum Beach Memorial Golf Club.

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Infrastructure consists of network of roadways and communications, services, and local planning tools that define a community. Infrastructure planning is intrinsic to management of the wildland urban interface zone. Components of the Town’s infrastructure relevant to interface management are reviewed.

TRANSPORTATION ROUTES

Figure 9. Several major transportation routes serve the Town of Qualicum Beach.

Easy access to major transportation corridors have contributed to the growth of the Town of Qualicum Beach (Figure 9). The Inland Island Highway (19) provides a direct connection with Nanaimo’s ferry service to Vancouver. The Oceanside Highway (19A), which runs the length of the town along the Strait of Georgia, offers a scenic route along the coast. The Town of Qualicum Beach sits at the junction of Highway 4, which runs to Port Alberni and the west coast of Vancouver Island. The E & N offers daily passenger rail service between Courtenay and Victoria. The Qualicum Beach Fire Department recently responded to a bush fire beneath the French Creek rail trestle (Photos 35, 36).

Photos 35, 36. The Qualicum Beach Fire Department recently extinguished a bush fire beneath the E&N French Creek railway trestle.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 29 The municipally owned airport at Qualicum Beach airport provides a regular scheduled service (KD Air) to Vancouver and other locales (Photos 37, 38). The airport is also used by approximately 30 locally based aircraft. Maintained grassy areas surround the runways. Grass fires at the airport have occurred over the years, although no statistical data has been collected. The airport is connected to municipal water, and assists in fire suppression. Access to the airport is controlled.

Photo 37. Airport terminal.

Photo 38. KD Air operates regular service from Qualicum Beach municipal airport.

In 2006 the Qualicum Beach Fire Department responded to several human-caused bush fires close to Miraloma Road and near the municipal airport (Photo 39). Supply hoses were hooked to hydrants at Miraloma Road, and foam was used in tandem with pumper trucks to suppress the blazes.

Photo 39. Charred stumps and bushes designate the site where Qualicum Beach Fire Department was called out to extinguish bush fires near Miraloma Road.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 30 The Town has no marina, although launching and moorage can be found at French Creek harbour, 5 km to the east on Highway 19A.

The Town of Qualicum Beach contains 85.2 km of paved roads. (Figure 10, Photo 40). Recent completion of bypass ring roads (providing peripheral connections between Highway 19A and Highway 19 away from the Town centre) has significantly reduced response times for the Fire Department (discussion with Q.B.F.D.)

Figure 10. Major road network at the Town of Qualicum Beach.

Photo 40. A well-maintained road network characterises the Town’s core area.

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UTILITIES

A BC Hydro power transmission right-of-way travels in an east-west direction through the southern portion of the Town.

Photo 41. BC Hydro transmission power right-of-way near Little Qualicum River.

REPEATER SITES

A communication tower is located in farm land at Garrett and Jones Roads. An additional communications tower proposed for the Burwick/Rupert Road area is intended to improve cellular and Town Emergency Services Communications.

WATER

The Town of Qualicum Beach supplies community (piped) water from aquifers (many of which underlie the town-owned District Lot 10), and a municipally maintained distribution system. Community piped water is generally limited to areas inside the Urban Containment Boundary. Subdivisions in the Town are serviced by municipal (and some private) water systems. According to the Town’s Official Community Plan, the water distribution system is projected to accommodate residential growth for the next 10 to 15 years, with upgrading and extension commensurate with growth.

The Town has partnered with the Regional District of Nanaimo and City of Parksville in the Arrowsmith Water Service joint venture, which guarantees future water supply from the Englishman River. In order to defray large capital costs involved in the initial development of the AWS, the Town continues to explore local ground water sources.

Photo 42. Municipal pumping station at Rupert and Berwick Road.

EMERGENCY CENTRES

The municipal recreation centre at 747 Jones Street serves as the Town’s Emergency Reception Centre (ERC). The Town Hall is designated for use as the Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).

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LOCAL PLANNING TOOLS

Under the Local Government Act, municipalities are authorised to adopt community plans “respecting the form and character of existing and proposed land use and servicing requirements in the area covered by the plan” (Section 945(1)). The long range planning goals of the Town of Qualicum Beach are outlined in the City’s Official Community Plan (Bylaw 590). The Official Community Plan (OCP), which was adopted in May 2005, provides the foundation for local policies relating to land use and development in the municipality (Figure 11).

Figure 11. Vision statements of The Town of Qualicum Beach.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 33 Various planning tools available to local governments to mitigate interface fires may be outlined in a community’s Official Community Plan. Planning tools available to local governments to manage the interface zone include: • Development Permits (to control the design of building and landscaping on properties in Development Permit Areas) • Development Permit Areas (to address specific conditions; implemented to indicate areas of different risk levels) • Restrictive covenants (used to manage how land is subdivided and built upon) • Servicing and subdivision bylaws (to address risk from interface fire) • Local building bylaws (used in conjunction with the BC Building Code to control building in areas at risk of interface fires) Tools used at the time of subdivision, planning, building and servicing provide preventative measures with the intent of saving lives and property.

Photo 43. Town Hall.

Public education and community involvement are useful tools in interface management. The Qualicum Beach Fire Department is responsible for fire prevention and suppression in the community. The Fire Department promotes public education programs to encourage residents to maintain homes and properties to minimise the threat of interface fire.

The Town of Qualicum Beach has adopted various regulations indirectly affecting management of the interface zone:

• Burning Bylaw – In order to regulate outdoor burning, the City restricts agricultural clearing waste fires and garden refuse fires on properties 2.5 acres and larger to periods from February 15 to April 15, and from October 15 to December15. (Town of Qualicum Bylaw, 1996, No. 539.02). (Beach fires – below the high tide mark – and cooking fires contained within a barbeque or fire pit may be started at any time without a permit. Beach fires are not permitted during a Coastal fire ban.)

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 34 • Bylaw Regulating Unsightly Weed Control – allows the City to intervene in cases where unsightly, hazardous, and/or flammable materials accumulate on private properties (Bylaw No. 379)

• Building Bylaw – outlines construction requirements to meet designation safety standards (Bylaw No. 582)

• Tree Protection Bylaw – manages protected trees in the community (No. 559/559.2)

• Works and Services Bylaw – outlines requirements for subdivision development (No. 554.01)

As regulated under the Local Government Act, the Official Community Plan outlines detailed development policies to control various aspects of development. Development Permit Areas at the Town of Qualicum Beach have been established to protect unstable areas, floodzones, and Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESAs). No Development Permit Areas for wildfire are designated in the Official Community Plan.

Photo 44. A Development Permit Area maintains the integrity of the Town’s beachfront area.

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FIRE PROTECTION AND PREVENTION

Mission Statement of the Qualicum Fire Department

FIRE PROTECTION

The Qualicum Beach Fire Department is a composite career/paid-call volunteer service consisting of two career and 27 paid-call members. The Fire Department services a Fire Protection Area of 34 km2 that includes the Town of Qualicum Beach and adjacent contract areas in the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN), with a combined population of over 10,000. The Department also responds to other agencies’ emergencies such as assisting district wide in technical rescue. Auto extrication services are provided to Coombs-Hilliers and Dashwood Fire Protection Areas. The Fire Department operates under a mutual aid agreement with fire departments from neighbouring jurisdictions (i.e., Parksville, Dashwood, and Errington Volunteer Fire Departments).

Photo 45. In 2007, the Qualicum Beach Fire Department celebrates sixty years of service to the community.

The Fire Department was established in 1947. Fire protection and emergency services are provided to the citizens of the Town of Qualicum Beach from one fire station located at 660 Primrose Street.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 36 In 2006, the Qualicum Beach Fire Department responded to approximately 600 emergency calls, ranging from structure fires to grass fires, rescues, auto extrications, and assistance in emergency health services. The rate of annual call volume is increasing steadily (Figure 11). In 2006 there was a 15% increase in the number of calls compared with 2005. Over the past several years the Fire Department has been in the top two departments (7 fire departments from Nanoose to Deep Bay) for call volume due to population statistics for the area protected and types of services provided.

Figure 11. Fire Department call volume has climbed steadily in the last decade.

Brush and grass fires constitute a small component of the call volume, but have increased significantly in recent years. Human-caused bush fires continue to be problematic. The Qualicum Fire Department is responsible for initial attack on brush and grass fires. Additional assistance may be requested from the Ministry of Forests and Range (MoFR) Protection Branch Wildland Fire Service. Fire Chief Chris Jancowski is proud of the “great rapport” between his department and the Ministry of Forests and Range Wildland Fire Services.

The Fire Department maintains a fleet of six emergency response vehicles (and 2 support vehicles. Emergency response vehicles: • 1250 gpm pumper • 420 gpm tanker with 3000 gal. water (used in supplying water for rural areas and forestry emergencies) • 1000 gpm ladder truck • 1250 gpm pumper • 2 light rescue trucks

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FIRE PREVENTION, TRAINING AND OPERATIONS

The Qualicum Beach Fire Department operates with several divisions: prevention, emergency planning, training, and operations. The Town of Qualicum Beach and the Fire Department recognise that education is an effective fire/crime prevention tool. The Department actively promotes fire safety at fire station tours, and in local elementary schools. During Fire Prevention Week in October, the Fire Department targets interactive sessions with local elementary school classes from Kindergarten to Grade 5. A juvenile fire setter (“Firecracker”) program at the Grade 7 level serves as an early intervention tool to correct juvenile fire setter behaviour concerns.

The training division oversees the training of firefighters and development of the department’s officers. Specialised teams are formed to handle different emergencies (i.e., technical rescues). Cooperation with the Ministry of Forests and Range enabled a portion of the department’s members to take the S-215 (BC Suppression Training) Command Operations course.

Q.B.F.D.

Photo 46. Early detection and quick response have resulted in successful suppression of a growing number of bush fires in recent years at the Town of Qualicum Beach.

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AREAS WITHIN THE FIRE PROTECTION AREA THAT HAVE INFERIOR SUPPRESSION CONSTRAINTS

The following areas in the Fire Protection Area include subdivisions and/or sparsely developed areas with a range of suppression constraints (i.e., not served by community water and/or inadequate fireflow, or no fire protection):

• Regional District lands in the French Creek Service Area – no fire hydrant protection: -Bennett Road area -Jones Road area -Peters Road area -Claymore Road area • Claymore Road/Melrose Road Area -fire protection for structures ends at 908 Claymore -no structural protection for Little Qualicum Hatchery or farm acreages.

Q.B.F.D. Photo 47. Martin Mars water bomber.

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BIOPHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

CLIMATE AND BIOGEOCLIMATIC CLASSIFICATION

Biogeoclimatic Ecosystem Classification (BEC) groups similar segments of the landscape into categories of a hierarchical classification system. British Columbia is classified into fourteen Biogeoclimatic Zones (BC Land Management Handbook No. 28). Geographic areas influenced by similar regional climates are classified into biogeoclimatic units. Ecosystems within biogeoclimatic units define particular plant communities and their associated topography, soil, and climate.

Climate is the most important factor influencing the development of forest ecosystems. Variation in ecosystems reflects the effect of climate on topography and soils. Climate affects vegetation structure, historical wildfires, and, on a shorter time frame, fire danger.

Located in the rainshadow of the Vancouver Island Ranges, the Town of Qualicum Beach is classified in the moist maritime Coastal Douglas-fir Zone (CDFmm). The CDFmm extends along the southeast coast of Vancouver Island, inland to approximately 150 – 200 m above sea level (asl). With warm, dry summers and mild, wet winters, the CFDmm has the mildest climate in Canada.

Forests in the CDFmm are dominated by Douglas-fir, with lesser amounts of western redcedar. Deciduous trees (i.e., broadleaf maple, red alder, wild cherry, dogwood) may occupy moister sites. It is not uncommon to find arbutus on warm, well-drained aspects. Prominent understorey plant species in the CDFmm include dull Oregon grape, sword fern, salal and oceanspray.

Prevailing Pacific Coast weather systems at the Town of Qualicum Beach during the fire season (April to October) can vary from moderately moist (low to moderate fire hazard conditions) to windy and excessively dry patterns (high to extreme fire hazard conditions). Net radiation values are generally high. Moisture deficits are common in summer, when evaporative demand is at a maximum.

FIRE HISTORY

For thousands of years prior to European settlement, infrequent fires swept through the forests of the Pacific Northwest (Table 1). The majority of fires were sparked by lightning. Aboriginal peoples established a fire regime in order to cultivate plants for food and medicine. The result was a varied mosaic of forest stands and habitats.

Table 1. Mean forest fire return interval and fire size Biogeoclimatic Mean Historical Wildfire Fire Return Interval Fire Size (ha) Unit (Years) Minimum Average Maximum Minimum Average Maximum CDFmm 50-100 100-300 300-400 0.1-5 5-50 150-550

(BC Ministry of Forests and Range)

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 40 Periodic low intensity surface fires reduced natural fuel loading and recycled nutrients. In the last century, the demise of traditional aboriginal cultural land management practices, and the advance of modern fire suppression have increased natural fuel loading. As growing populations move into wildland urban interface areas, the number of anthropogenic fires is increasing. From an ecological perspective, human-caused fires occur at random, and do not conform to a previous fire regime, to which native flora and fauna have adapted.

Photo 48. Wildland firefighter.

Fire-scarred Douglas-fir veteran (very old) trees, and charred stumps and logs in local forest stands indicate that fires were an intrinsic part of history on the southeast coast of Vancouver Island. Post-settlement, fires increased as a result of land clearing and historical logging practices.

PHYSIOGRAPHY AND SOILS

Landforms and soils influence fire behaviour by affecting ignition and the rate of fire spread. Fires are more likely to spread rapidly on steep slopes with warm dry aspects, and in ravines and gullies, than on moist flat areas.

Photo 49. Wildfire spreading up a steep slope.

The Town of Qualicum Beach is located in the Nanaimo Lowland Ecosection – a coastal plain on the south-eastern margin of Vancouver Island. This low-lying area developed in prehistoric times when ancient rivers, seas, and rivers of ice deposited marine, fluvial, and fluvioglacial deposits on the landscape. Gentle to moderate slopes characterise the region.

Common soil types – Duric Dystric Brunisols, Duric Humo-Ferric Podzols, Gleyed Humo-Ferric Podzols, and Orthic Humo-Ferric Podzols – reflect local climatic conditions (dry summers and moist winters) and variable drainage.

Much of the townsite is located on gently to moderately rolling terrain, with slopes less than 15%, although steeper slopes are not uncommon (coastal escarpment, riparian ravines).

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 41 Forested rural areas generally have high fuel loading. Steeper slopes with high fuel loading would be more vulnerable to wildfire than gentle slopes. Prevailing onshore winds in summer could sweep fires southward. Unusually strong outflow winds combined with extreme fire weather conditions (high temperature and low humidity) would have the potential to spread fire rapidly. Interconnecting bush and forest lands in the Town’s Greenbelt Area could act as conduits for fire spread.

Photo 50. Onshore winds are common in summer.

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SECTION 3. PREPARATION OF THE COMMUNITY WILDFIRE PROTECTION PLAN

Preparation of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan for the Town of Qualicum Beach followed steps outlined in FireSmart (FireSmart: Protecting Your Community from Wildfire, Partners in Protection, 2003).

STEP ONE: Plan Overview – Objectives and Goals

Objectives and goals of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan were reviewed with the Union of BC Municipalities, Qualicum Beach Fire Department, Town of Qualicum Beach, Regional District of Nanaimo, and Ministry of Forests and Range Protection Branch.

STEP TWO: Data Acquisition and Information Sharing

Identification and acquisition of resource and community information was important in order to share perspectives, priorities, and objectives relevant to the planning process.

Community-planning guides and resources provided useful information: • FireSmart – Protecting Your Community from Wildfire (2nd Edition, Partners in Protection, 2003) www.partnersinprotection.ab./ca • Firestorm 2003 Provincial Review (The Hon. G. Filmon, 2004) www.2003.firestorm.gov.bc.ca • Addressing the Interface Fire Hazard – A Case Study of the District of Langford (District of Langford, 2002) • Water Supply for Public Fire Protection (Fire Underwriters Survey, 1999) • S-100 (BC) Basic Fire Suppression and Safety (MoFR, 2004) • National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) Standards (NFPA, Massachusetts, USA) • Town of Qualicum Beach Official Community Plan (2005, Bylaw No. 590) • Regional District of Nanaimo website www.rdn.bc.ca • Town of Qualicum Beach website www.qualicumbeach.com • MoFR website www.for.gov.bc.ca/Protect

STEP THREE: Hazard - Risk Assessment

Factors considered in the selection of models to evaluate interface hazard and risk included: ƒ Fuel types ƒ Fire behaviour ƒ Land uses ƒ History of wildfire occurrence ƒ Structures, features, and essential infrastructure at risk ƒ Other community values at risk ƒ Local preparedness and firefighting capability

Hazard-risk models used in this project were:

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 43 • Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System • Community Interface Fire Hazard Assessment (FireSmart) • Hazard-Impact-Risk-Vulnerability Assessment (Strategic Threat Analysis [STA] mapping, a recent introduction to BC fire prediction modeling, was not used due to its limited applicability to Vancouver Island.)

STEP FOUR: Hazard Mapping

Interface hazard mapping was developed in order to identify: ƒ Areas at potential risk from wildland fire ƒ A designation of the community’s wildland-urban interface zone

The Town of Qualicum Beach and Regional District of Nanaimo provided base mapping (topographic, cadastral, and ortho) for field work. Global information system (GIS) based mapping provided a useful tool for spatially identifying the severity of a wildfire hazard. Pre- mapping was confirmed with ground truthing of lands in and adjacent to the Town. Madrone Environmental Services Ltd. converted field mapping data (using ArcGIS 9.2 software) to digital format (shape files). Map data is in compatible format to the GIS system used by the provincial government.

STEP FIVE: Community Hazard Reduction Priorities

Once the community assessment and base map were completed, local protection and hazard mitigation needs were analysed.

STEP SIX: Action Plan

Mitigation measures were identified in an action plan.

STEP SEVEN: Education and Awareness

The process of developing a Community Wildfire Protection Plan can lead community members through valuable discussions regarding management options and implications. Effective public education and awareness will help motivate people to create FireSmart communities.

STEP EIGHT: Implementation

Community planning officials must mutually agree on fuel management priorities, equipment needs, requirements for additional local planning tools, and other necessary actions. The Town of Qualicum Beach should establish an assessment strategy for the Community Wildfire Protection Plan to ensure the plan maintains its relevance and effectiveness over the long term.

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SECTION 4: HAZARD-RISK ANALYSIS

HAZARD ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY

Hazard assessment methodology was based on standard fire danger and hazard assessment models:

• The Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS) – internationally recognised fire danger rating system

• Interface Community Fire Hazard analysis - quantitative assessment of interface fire hazard (based on FireSmart)

• Hazard, Impact, Risk and Vulnerability (HIRV) model – community risk assessment

Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System: Developed by Forestry Canada, the CFFDRS comprises two major subsystems: the Fire Weather Index (FWI) system and the Fire Behaviour Prediction (FBP) system (Figure 12).

Figure 12. Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System.

The Fire Weather Index system accounts for the effects of fuel moisture and wind on ignition potential and probable fire behaviour. Fuel moisture codes reflect the fuel moisture content of fine surface litter (Fine Fuel Moisture Code – FFMC), loosely compacted duff of moderate depth (Duff Moisture Code – DMC), and deep compact organic matter (Drought Code – DC).

The FWI fuel moisture codes plus wind are linked in pairs to form two intermediate and one fire behaviour index. The Initial Spread Index (ISI) combines the effects of wind and fine fuel

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 45 moisture content (FFMC). The Buildup Index (BUI), based on DMC and DC represents a measure of the total fuels for combustion.

The Fire Behaviour Prediction System predicts the rate of spread, fuel consumption, and intensity of wildfires. Fire Danger Class Ratings (DGR) are calculated based on the fire weather indices from a network of automated weather stations (Table 2).

Table 2. Fire Danger Class (DGR) Build-up Fire Weather Index (FWI) Index (BUI) 0 1-7 8-16 17-30 31+ 0-19 I II II III III 20-42 II II III III IV 43-69 II III III IV IV 70-118 II III IV IV V 119+ III III IV V V FWI = Fire Weather Index; BUI = Buildup Index

Fire Danger Class I Very Low  Fire Danger Class 2 Low  Fire Danger Class 3 Moderate  Fire Danger Class 4 High  Fire Danger Class 5 Extreme 

DGR Description Rating

Class 1 Forest fire is not likely to start. (VERY LOW)

Forest fire danger is LOW. It is possible for fires to start in light flashy fuels, but they will Class 2 have a slow rate of spread.

Fire danger is MODERATE. Fine fuels in open areas and sunny slopes may spread rapidly. Class 3 Use caution during any forest activities.

Fire danger is HIGH. Fires will start easily from all causes, and will spread rapidly, and increase in intensity - they will be hard to extinguish. Spot fires may occur and will burn deep. Class 4 Extreme caution must be used in any forest activities. Burning permits and industrial activities may be restricted.

Forest fire danger is EXTREME. Small fires will spread very rapidly - they will be hard to extinguish. Severe spotting may occur. Mop-up will require a great deal of effort. Class 5 General forest activities may be restricted, including burning permits, industrial permits, and campfires.

Over the last decade, local fire weather data from the Ministry of Forests and Range Coastal Fire Centre indicate long periods of days at the Town of Qualicum Beach in Fire Class Hazard 3 (moderate danger class) or higher.

Photo 51. Wildfire.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 46 Interface Community Fire Hazard Analysis: The Ministry of Forests and Range Protection Branch “Interface Community Fire Hazard” analysis (customised for use on the BC south coast) provides a quantitative procedure for assessing the interface fire hazard. Based on FireSmart principles, over twenty five risk factors are rated (i.e., fuel types; potential fire behavior; structures at risk; susceptibility to ignition; suppression constraints; general location; fire history; type of development; access; above-ground utility corridors; tenure types; developed recreation sites; watersheds; wildlife habitat; cultural features).

The Interface Community Fire Hazard analysis assigns points – the greater the hazard, the greater the number of points – to each hazard-risk factor. Hazard categories are low, moderate, high, and extreme. An interface area, site, or structure is not considered to be “fire safe” unless it obtains a low or moderate assessment score.

Hazard, Impact, Risk and Vulnerability (HIRV) Process: Risk assessments allow communities to anticipate and reduce the impacts of natural and manmade hazards by analysing current and historical data and information resources. The HIRV model is a useful planning tool for local governments.

The HIRV process consists of: ƒ Hazard Identification ƒ Risk Analysis ƒ Vulnerability Assessment ƒ Impact Analysis ƒ Risk Management

Hazard can be loosely thought of as the product of risk, vulnerability, exposure, and the capacity of humans to respond to extreme conditions. For the purposes of this report, hazard refers to an unplanned or unwanted natural or human-caused fire, or a prescribed fire that threatens to escape.

Risk is a measure of the probability of occurrence of an event and the expected severity, and an analysis of potential factors (human or natural) which can contribute to the potential for fire occurrence.

Risk should not be confused with risk of ignition. For the purposes of this report, the probability of ignition can be accounted for by assigning a higher hazard rating to areas where fires are most likely to be started.

Vulnerability defines the ability of people, property, industry, resources, and areas of environmental and historic concern to weather, resist, or recover from the impacts of a hazard in the long term as well as the short term.

Impact is assessed through an analysis of social, environmental, economic, and political factors. Impact analysis provides the necessary links between vulnerabilities and hazards.

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SECTION 5: FIRE BEHAVIOUR

FIRE BEHAVIOUR TRIANGLE

Fire behaviour is the manner in which fuel ignites, flame develops, and fire spreads. A wildfire behaves according the environment in which it is burning. Fire behaviour is affected by three elements of the fire environment – fuel, weather, and topography (Figure 13).

Figure 13. Fire Behaviour Triangle

A change in any of the components of the fire environment will cause a change in the behavior of the fire – the change can be very abrupt and rapid. Of the elements affecting fire behaviour, only fuel can be managed (Table 3).

Table 3. Fire Behavior Triangle Components

Weather Wind Wind can push a fire forward; fires also create their own wind currents. Temperature Heat results naturally (lightning strike) or is introduced by people. Relative Humidity Low relative humidity can dry out fuels causing them to ignite more easily. Precipitation Precipitation can put out a fire; conversely, a lack of precipitation dries fuels, increasing the fire threat. Topography Flat or Slopes A fire moves more rapidly up hills.

Aspect A fire is more likely on drier southern and western aspects. Fuels Light or Heavy The drier and lighter the fuels the more easily they will ignite. Arrangement A continuous layer of fuels on the forest floor aids the spread of a fire. Fuel Moisture Low fuel moisture can promote chance of ignition and increase fire spread. Adapted from U. S. Dept. of Agriculture – Forest Service

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ASSESSMENT OF WILDFIRE HAZARD

Potential Wildfire hazard was assessed using standard criteria:

1. Fire behaviour (including fuel types) 2. Risk of ignition 3. Structures at risk 4. Suppression constraints

FIRE BEHAVIOUR AND FUEL TYPES

Fire behaviour predicts how wildfire will behave under extreme weather conditions. Fire weather, fuel types and topography were analysed to predict three output fire behaviour factors:

1. Fire Intensity – a measure of the rate of heat energy released – based on the rate of spread and predicted fuel consumption.

2. Rate of Spread – measure of the speed at which a fire extends horizontally – based on the hourly Initial Spread Index (ISI) value, and adjusted for steepness of slope.

3. Crown Fraction Burned – measure of the proportion of tree crown involved in a fire – based on the rate of spread, crown base height, and foliar moisture content.

Fire behaviour predictions are linked to fuel types. Any substance that will burn is a fuel. Forest fuels are typically classified according to the forest layer in which they are burning – ground, surface, or crown:

• Ground fires creep through the duff (organic soil) and decaying woody material beneath the forest floor. Ground fires often smolder for a long time. Ground fires are persistent, slow burning, and difficult to detect.

Photo 52. Ground fire.

• Surface fires are on the forest floor. Surface fires burn needles, cones, twigs, branches, logs, stumps, and leaves on the forest floor, in addition to lower branches of standing timber. Surface fuels include “ladder fuels” (aerial fuels) – i.e., branches, leaves, and bark on

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 49 tall bushes; the lower branches of trees; or young understorey trees – which help ground and surface fires spread upward through the forest canopy into the tree crowns. Surface fires spread more rapidly by wind.

Photos 53-55. Surface fuels; surface fire; fuel ladders.

• Crown fires burn in the upper foliage and branches, and also consume surface and ground fuels. Crown fires occur when high-intensity surface fire spreads (“ladders”) through the lower foliage into the canopy above. Crown fires spread from tree to tree. Crown fires travel quickly, are difficult to control, and are the most destructive fires.

Photo 56. Crown fire.

U.S.F.S. photos

The Fire Behaviour System uses sixteen benchmark fuel types, divided into five major groups, to forecast how a wildfire will react. Fuel types are described qualitatively, rather than quantitatively, according to ground, surface, and crown characteristics of the forest stand. Table 4 provides a summary of major fuel types in the local area, based on the Canadian Forest Fire Behaviour Prediction (FBP) System*.

*N.B. FBP System fuel types are generic; they represent a type of behaviour pattern, rather than the specific type of stand found in an area.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 50 Table 4. Fuel Types in the Town of Qualicum Beach Fuel Characteristics Layer: Forest Floor and Surface and Stand Structure Comments – Organic Layer Ladder Fuels and Composition Distribution Mitigation

Fuel Type Complex: Coniferous stands -continuous layer -discontinuous to -immature to mature -Mainly of needle litter, moderately stands (with veteran located in small twigs, cones, continuous herb trees) of Douglas-fir Greenbelt and feather moss; layer (with western Area. Also -moderately -moderate to redcedar, grand fir, found in shallow organic dense understorey western hemlock) several layer of ferns and shrubs -moderately well- areas in (salal, Oregon stocked to dense Urban grape, ocean stands Containm’t spray) -height to live crown Area (i.e., -proportion of varies Brown ladder fuels varies -bark of trees varies Heritage considerably in resistance to fire: Forest). between younger Douglas-fir bark is immature stands generally very fire- and older mature resistant, while cedar stands bark is thin and flammable. Affect on fire behaviour: Thicker duff and Denser ladder fuels Crown fires are more Moderately forest floor layers increase potential likely in dense stands to highly increase chance for surface fire with high fuel flammable of ignition and climbing into loading (ground and (dependent spread. crowns surface fuels); in on fuel these types of loading). stands, fire would During spread quickly, and extreme fire be difficult to weather, control. coniferous stands could support a major wildfire.

Pine /Douglas-fir -continuous layer -sparse to -generally consists -Concen- stands of needle litter, discontinuous herb of younger, trated in small twigs, cones, layer immature stands forest lands and feather moss -moderate to (sometimes in dense in western -shallowly to dense shrub layer thickets along the portion of moderately deep -tends to have high coast) Town organic layer proportion of -often densely ladder fuels (lower stocked live and dead -low height to live branches, downed crown stems) Affect on fire behaviour: High capability of High capability of Crown fires have Extremely carrying surface carrying surface fire high likelihood of flammable. fire into crowns developing in dense stands.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 51 Mixed wood stands -discontinuous to -sparse to -moderately well- Throughout (coniferous/deciduous) continuous leaf continuous herb stocked mixed Greenbelt and needle litter layer stands of Douglas-fir, Area, esp. in -very shallow -moderate to western redcedar, riparian organic layers – continuous shrub and grand fir, with areas. generally layer broadleaf maple, Shading of uncompacted -ladder fuels often red alder, bitter deciduous and friable extend to ground cherry component beneficial. Affect on fire behaviour: Low to mod. Low to mod Local stands contain Multistoried capability of capability of sufficient proportion stands carrying surface carrying surface fire of flammable contain fire into crowns (risk coniferous trees to critical increases during sustain and spread a ladder fuels extreme fire wildfire, especially to help weather, when during extreme fire move deciduous leaves weather. ground fuels dry out). Fuel types into upper differentiated by canopy. season and percent conifer/deciduous composition. Slash -continuous -continuous slash -individual and -Several needle litter and -moderate to high clumps of standing privately- feather moss foliage retention trees sometimes owned -moderately deep (high amounts of scattered through forestry to deep western redcedar) logged areas operations in uncompacted to area (nr. compacted French Ck, organic layer Little Qualicum River) -Unabated slash poses hazard Affect on fire behaviour: High risk of ignition Dead standing trees Highly and spread during act to spread a flammable extreme fire ground fire into esp. if high weather crowns of adjacent cedar stands. content. -Recent incidence of several human- caused fires (not caused by logging operations): successful suppression due to early detection and prompt response.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 52 Grass -continuous live -discontinuous to Clumps of brush -Golf courses and dead (may continuous short to species and trees (generally be cured tall grass increase potential well- depending on -sparse or scattered for fire spread. managed) weather ) grass shrubs, with -Agricultural litter downed woody lands (most -shallow, fuels are well- moderately -early spring: maintained compacted matted grass more and/or organic layer common irrigated) -late summer: standing cured grasses more prevalent Affect on fire behaviour: Low to high. risk of Low to mod. risk of Wind will ignition & spread ignition and spread spread fire (depending on (depending on rapidly in season) season) dried, cured grass

Photo 57. Martin Mars waterbomber near the Town of Qualicum Beach. Q.B.F.D.

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RISK OF IGNITION

The risk of ignition at the Town of Qualicum Beach is primarily from human activity. Common human-caused ignition sources include: discarded cigarettes and matches from smoking, campfires, motorised machinery (i.e., welding equipment, blowtorches), motorised recreational vehicles (i.e., dirt bikes), and fires started in homes or backyards adjacent to woodland areas. The Qualicum Beach Fire Department has responded to several calls from residents who ignited cedar hedges while removing weeds with blowtorches.

Table 5. Risk of ignition Location Probability of Ignition Areas within 20 m of any roads and trails Moderate to High Areas within 20 m of power lines High Areas within 100 m of housing High Areas frequented by party goers High

Photo 58. Interface fire.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 54

STRUCTURES AT RISK

Structures at risk include all human-made structures (buildings and facilities) that have the potential to be destroyed or damaged by wildfire.

The range of structure types at the Town of Qualicum Beach includes commercial buildings, residential homes, resort accommodations, agricultural buildings, older combustible heritage buildings, and institutions (i.e., schools) (Table 6).

Table 6. Structures at Risk Unnatural -areas within Fuel Types- -Construction materials of local structures in high-risk interface areas vary 100 m of Structures at from highly combustible (i.e., cedar shake roofing; wood siding) to fire- structure and Risk retardant (metal roofs, cementitious siding materials). developments -Many structures in high-risk interface areas are surrounded by flammable in high-risk (human vegetation. interface areas structures may have a and facilities) higher hazard rating. Affect on fire Reduce behaviour: -Difficult-to-access structures with inadequate fireflow have highest risk. interface fire -Remote structures constructed with flammable materials (combustible risk by roof-covering assemblies and non fire-resistant siding), surrounded by forest promoting: coniferous cover present very high risk. -fire-resistant -Extreme fire weather, combined with poor access, will challenge construction suppression efforts. -vegetation management -infrastructure improvement

Photo 59. Interface fire (photo courtesy of FireSmart, 2003).

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 55

SUPPRESSION CONSTRAINTS

Suppression constraints are based on the availability of:

• suppression resources • access restrictions • topographical features

Suppression response to fully-serviced, flat, urban areas (well-roaded neighbourhoods with hydrants within close proximity to a fire station) will be relatively fast, compared to poorly accessed, more rugged perimeter areas with inadequate or no water supply for fireflow. Access to water sources (fire hydrants) is a vital component of fire suppression. Areas further than 300 m from a fire hydrant pose a higher risk (associated with higher insurance premiums). Areas further than 8 km from a fire station are generally located outside fire protection boundaries.

Table 7. Suppression Constraints Factor Specifics Rating Distance from roads 0-50 m from a road Low 50-100 m from a road Moderate >100 m from a road High >300 m from a road Extreme

Gradient of roads All-weather road surface (i.e., paved): <20% Low >20% Moderate-High Gravel <15% Low-Moderate >15% High-Extreme Availability of water sources Areas < 300 m from a fire hydrant Low Areas > 300 m from a fire hydrant High Distance from fire hall Areas < 8 km from a fire station Low Areas > 8 km from a fire station High

Photo 60. Wildfire suppression.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 56

SECTION 6: COMMUNITY RISK ASSESSMENT (HIRV MODEL)

A Hazard-Impact-Risk-Vulnerability (HIRV) model was developed to compare the potential impact of interface fire in various areas of the Town of Qualicum Beach. Examples below highlight two contrasting interface areas: French Creek forested area (high - extreme risk of interface fire), and the downtown core (low risk rating) (Tables 8, 9).

Table 8. Hazard Impact Risk and Vulnerability Model. Wildfire Hazard – Midsummer Hazard Risk Certainty Vulner- Certainty Impact Certainty Risk and Rat- ability Analysis* Vulnerability ing Rating Analysis Wildfire - Forested Env=3 Risk=Extreme area near Ex- Data is High to Data is Data is Soc=2-3 Econ=2 French treme well Extreme well well Vulnerability= Creek High to Extreme established establish’d Pol=1-2 established * Env=Environmental Soc=Social Econ=Economic Pol=Political Ratings: 1=Low, 2=Moderate, 3=High, 4=Extreme

Table 9. Hazard Impact Risk and Vulnerability Model. Wildfire Hazard – Midsummer Hazard Risk Certainty Vulner- Certainty Impact Certainty Risk and Rat- ability Analysis* Vulnerability ing Rating Analysis

Wildfire- Data is Data is Env=1 Data is Risk=Low Downtown Low well Low- well well established establish’d Soc=2-3 Econ=2 established Core of Moderate Vulnerability= Town Pol=1-2 Low-Moderate * Env=Environmental Soc=Social Econ=Economic Pol=Political Ratings: 1=Low, 2=Moderate, 3=High, 4=Extreme

Impact factors in the HIRV community risk assessment are outlined in Table 10.

Table 10. Impact Factors Impact Analysis Impact Examples Rating Social -possible injuries Low - Minor disruption of society -possible deaths Medium - Possible injuries and small-scale disruption of family life -loss of housing High - Serious injuries; large-scale community disruption -disruption of family life Extreme - Multiple fatalities; major disruption of community life and loss of critical -critical facilities lost facilities

Political -coerced risks Low - Minor opposition -catastrophic risks Moderate - low level of political backlash – intervention may be required -unresponsive process High - significant event embroils government - major actions required -memorable events Extreme - Significant intervention required from all levels of government -industrial risks In the event of a major catastrophe government declares “Disaster Area” Environ- -quality of life Low - Minimal environmental impact at area of effect mental -water quality Moderate - Regional environmental damage -destruction of natural High - Long-term recovery. Requires significant after action resources Extreme - Severe long-term effects on biodiversity Econ- -structural; non-struc- Low - Economic impact minimal omic tural damage Moderate - Loss of business -loss of services; jobs High - Regional long term loss -loss of revenue Extreme - Chronic long-term economic downturn

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 57

SECTION 7. WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE FIRE HAZARD RATING

Wildland Urban Interface mapping was conducted using four standard Ministry of Forests and Range wildland urban interface hazard mapping classes: Low, Moderate, High, and Extreme (Table 11). Hazard mapping criteria were reviewed with the Qualicum Beach Fire Department.

TABLE 11. WILDLAND URBAN INTERFACE FIRE HAZARD RATING CLASSES

Low – urban, suburban, and farm areas with modified forest fuels; generally flat terrain; no readily combustible vegetation; superior fire protection with fast response times; minimal history interface fires; low risk to adjacent development

Moderate – partially modified forest fuels; scattered mixed forest in suburban areas; moderate to good water availability; good fire protection coverage with adequate response times; periodic fire starts; gentle to sloping topography; homes and structures may be threatened

High – areas of little or no fuel modification; continuous ground fuels; sloping terrain with/without gullies present; moderate to low availability of water; delayed fire protection coverage, or no fire protection; some areas hard to access; direct threat to homes/structures/values

Extreme – areas of little or no fuel modification; continuous ground fuels; rolling and gullied terrain; rock outcrops may be present; low water availability; often outside fire protection boundaries; some inaccessible terrain; may or may not have heavy use (recreation/resource industry); often has history of frequent fire starts; direct threat to homes/structures/values Adapted from MoFR

Approximately 65% of the Fire Protection Area served by the Qualicum Beach Fire Department was assessed with a high to extreme hazard interface fire hazard rating. Elevated interface fire hazard ratings were prevalent in the Rural Greenbelt Area.

Photo 61. Wildfire.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 58 Areas with a Low interface hazard rating at the Town of Qualicum Beach include ”built-up”, fully-serviced, commercial and/or residential areas with a superior transportation network and good fireflow.

Examples: Beach Commercial; Downtown area: Primrose Street locale, Crescent Road E., Crescent Road W.; Evergreen subdivision; Chartwell subdivision

Low WUI Hazard Areas Fire Behaviour Low Fire Intensity - low Rate of Spread – slow (flat to gentle slopes) Crown Fraction Burned - low Risk of Ignition Low – driftwood presents possible ignition source (beach area). Structures at Risk Low – high density of structures with low amount of natural fuel loading. Includes areas with high degree of modified natural fuels. Suppression Constraints Low – good access and fireflow; close to fire station. Comments Low concern - “built-up” areas; modified fuels; good detection.

Photo 62. The hydranted Beach Commercial area of the Town has a Low Interface fire hazard.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 59

Areas with a MODERATE interface fire hazard rating at the Town of Qualicum Beach include maintained residential, commercial, and agricultural areas with good fire suppression capabilities within close proximity to the fire station.

Examples: Eaglecrest subdivision; Parker Road; Oceanside subdivision; maintained agricultural lands in the vicinity of Rupert Road/Fern Road/Garden Road

Moderate WUI Hazard Areas Fire Behaviour Moderate Fire Intensity - low Rate of Spread – slow (flat to gentle slopes) Crown Fraction Burned - low Risk of Ignition Moderate – forested/bush areas near housing areas present ignition risk. Structures at Risk Moderate – high density of structures with low amount of natural fuel loading. Includes areas with high degree of modified natural fuels. Suppression Constraints Low to Moderate – fireflow adequate (hydrants) to inadequate (limited and/or no hydrants). Access generally acceptable. Comments Ground fuel loading is generally low. Agricultural lands in the Town are generally well managed. Moderate risk from trail users in subdivision areas. At the same time, popular use of trails and bush areas aids in early detection.

Photo 63. Irrigated farmlands with good access generally have a Moderate interface fire hazard.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 60

Areas with a HIGH interface fire hazard rating at the Town of Qualicum Beach encompass large, wooded residential estates, brush/forested lands surrounding subdivisions, and “urban” forested parks.

Examples: Estate Residential area (including Milner estate); bush lands south of Miraloma; Brown Heritage Forest; forested areas in outer perimeters of community

High WUI Hazard Areas Fire Behaviour High Fire Intensity - high Rate of Spread – rapid (if fanned by wind) Crown Fraction Burned – moderate to high Risk of Ignition High - recent history of human-caused fires (i.e., Miraloma area) - summer tourist influx increases risk of ignition areas with forest and brush (i.e., cigarettes, campfires) - residential and recreational activities increase risk of fire starts in forested suburban areas (including trails) - early detection is key to swift ignition Structures at Risk High - residential housing and commercial buildings located within or adjacent to areas with high fuel loading. Some neighbourhoods and developments buffered by roads and water, but high intensity fire could cross buffers. Suppression Constraints Low to High – range of fire suppression resources (from good access and fireflow to poor fireflow or fireflow lacking; some areas have difficult access) Comments Primary concerns are the fire behaviour characteristics, constraints to suppression, and recent history of human-caused fires in some areas. Early detection and rapid response have contributed to successful suppression of recent interface blazes.

Photos 64-66. Large forested properties with inferior suppression capabilities tend to have a high interface fire hazard.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 61

Areas with an EXTREME interface hazard rating at the Town of Qualicum Beach encompass continuous to extensive forested lands characterised by various suppression constraints.

Examples: extensive tracts of forested lands in the western and southern areas of Town; E&N corridor; French Creek corridor; District Lot 10 (Town’s source of aquifers for water supply) in upper reaches of the Little Qualicum River valley

Extreme WUI Hazard Areas Fire Behaviour Extreme Fire Intensity – high to extreme Rate of Spread – very rapid (wind and slopes will increase rate of spread) Crown Fraction Burned – high to extreme Risk of Ignition Extreme - recent history of human-caused fire starts in several areas - industrial forestry operations and recreational activities contribute to risk of ignition Structures at Risk Low to High - residential housing located within or adjacent to some areas with high fuel loading. Some structures buffered by roads and water, but high intensity fire could cross buffers. Suppression Constraints Very Low to High – characterised by poor fire suppression resources (poor fireflow or fireflow lacking; some areas have difficult access) Comments Recent human-caused fires in several areas in Greenbelt Area are a cause of concern for the Town of Qualicum Beach. Areas within the Greenbelt Area that protect environmentally sensitive ecosystems and/or water quality are particularly vulnerable to damage by wildfire.

Photos 67, 68. Forested lands surrounding French Creek (left photo shows rail trestle) and the Little Qualicum River (right) have an extreme interface fire hazard.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 62

SECTION 8: MITIGATIVE ACTIONS – A DISCUSSION

Since the early part of the 20th Century, when rail executives admired Qualicum’s scenic coastal setting, and established a land development company with hotels and golf links, the townsite at Qualicum Beach established a reputation as a quaint seaside resort community. In recent years the Town’s relaxed lifestyle and numerous amenities – attractive vantage overlooking a broad sandy beach, mild climate, abundance of natural recreation, and strategic links to major transportation routes on BC’s southeast coast – have transformed the quiet oceanside community into a bustling retirement centre. The Town has also become a popular bedroom community for larger centres on Vancouver Island.

Despite the pressures of growth in recent years, the Town of Qualicum Beach has strived to maintain an environmentally-conscious community. In cooperation with the Nanaimo Regional District, built-up areas of the Town have been delineated in an Urban Containment Boundary. Rural areas to the west, south, and east of the Urban Containment Boundary are protected in a Greenbelt Area, which includes small agricultural holdings and extensive tracts of forested land. Environmentally sensitive areas (riparian zones of the Little Qualicum River, west side of Grandon Creek, French Creek, and upper sections of Beach Creek) are protected in the Greenbelt Area. The Greenbelt Area includes the Town’s forested District Lot 10, which contains underground aquifers near the Little Qualicum River that provide the Town’s water supply.

Prior to settlement by non Europeans, forest lands on the southeast coast of Vancouver Island (including those in the Qualicum area) were periodically razed by wildfires ignited by lightning. Aboriginal peoples in the area set small fires to promote cultivation of edible and medicinal plants. Intermittent fires reduced underbrush and flammable vegetation. Ecosystems in the area adapted to periodic recurrence of wildfires that recycled nutrients and renewed system functions.

Urban and rural growth pressures are continually pushing development into the wildland urban interface zone. Advanced fire suppression efforts in recent decades have resulted in high levels of fuel loading in interface areas. At the same time, the number of anthropogenic fires is increasing throughout British Columbia. From an ecological perspective, human-caused fires occur at random, and do not fit with a natural fire regime, to which flora and fauna adapted. From the standpoint of community fire protection, interface fires have the potential to develop into catastrophic wildfires of a scale and intensity beyond the range of historical variability (Agee, Fire Ecology of the Pacific Northwest. 1993).

Interface fire activity in recent years at the Town of Qualicum Beach belies the Town’s reputation as a quiet seaside community. The Town has the highest median age per capita of any community in Canada. In recent years the Town has also claimed the dubious distinction of having possibly the highest number of human-caused interface fires of any community in BC per capita. A growing number of human-caused fires on brush/forested interface lands in the Town’s Greenbelt Area and Urban Containment Area concerns Town officials and the Ministry of Forests and Range Wildland Fire Services.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 63 The Qualicum Beach Fire Department has one of the highest call volumes (including a large number of medical calls due to the aging community) of any fire department in the area. Despite the high call volume, the Fire Department is performing an exemplary job of fire prevention and protection in the community. The Fire Department has excellent rapport with the Ministry of Forests and Range (should assistance be required in fighting wildfires).

No major wildfires have occurred in the area for many decades. Despite successful suppression efforts to date, the Qualicum Beach Fire Department is concerned about the possibility of a serious wildfire in or adjacent to the Town. It is not a question of “if” a wildfire will occur, but “when”. The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (February 2007) predicts global warming will extend the duration of fire seasons, and increase the number of wildfires. Greater fluctuations in local weather patterns are predicted as a result of global warming. Strong outflow winds during extreme fire weather could easily accelerate a wildfire’s rate of spread through forest and brush lands of the Qualicum area.

The probability of a “firestart” in or near the Town of Qualicum Beach is greatest where human activities occur in or near areas with moderate to heavy fuel loading. Locales at highest risk for interface fire occupy substantial areas of the Town’s Greenbelt Area – in the eastern, western, and southern portions of the municipality. Areas at risk include sparely populated acreages to rural subdivisions with varying degrees of suppression constraints, and environmentally sensitive areas. Forested lands containing underground aquifers that provide the Town’s water supply are found in this area. The growing number of human- caused interface fires – both in the rural Greenbelt Area and more developed Urban Containment Area – continues to concern government and fire officials.

Photo 69. Kelowna Firestorm 2003

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 64

EDUCATION AND PUBLIC AWARENESS

There is no standard prescription for wildfire safety. The key to successful mitigation should include: • community support • cooperation from all levels of government, private sectors, and neighbouring jurisdictions • recognition of liability • creative, innovative approaches to interface management

Effective communication is crucial to preventing or minimising fire risk in the wildland urban interface. Effective communication about wildland urban interface fire prevention and control will help motivate people to create FireSmart communities.

Photo 80. Family Day. Courtesy Q.B.F.D. MITIGATION

Mitigative measures to reduce the hazard posed by interface fire must focus on:

ƒ Vegetation Management ƒ Structural Options ƒ Infrastructure

Mitigation provides the ways for communities to coexist with the threat of interface fire.

Photo 81. Mural at the Town of Qualicum Beach.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 65

VEGETATION MANAGEMENT

Vegetation (fuel) management in interface areas is vital to reduction of fire danger. Reduction of fuel loads through pre-fire treatments is a proven method of influencing fire behaviour. During a major interface fire with a number of homes at risk, firefighters may be forced to prioritise their actions using a triage concept (structure management) – saving only those structures that can be readily protected.

Fuel Modified Zones

FireSmart recommends the establishment of fuel modified areas around structures in the interface. The removal of combustible materials, and the removal, reduction, or conversion of vegetation between a building and a potential wildland fire reduces the potential for an advancing wildland fire to spread to the building, or conversely, for a building fire to spread to the adjacent wildland (Figure 14).

Priority Zone 1: Area within 10 m of a building – Fuel Removal and Conversion

Priority Zone 2: Area 10-30 m from a Building – Fuel Reduction/Fuel Conversion

Priority Zone 3: Area 30-100 m from a Building – Fuel Reduction/Fuel Conversion

Figure 14. Vegetation management should focus on the establishment and maintenance of fuel modified zones around structures.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 66 Community Fuel Management

Community fuel management involves fuel treatment on a broad scale. Reduction of fuel loads through pre-fire treatments is an effective method to influence wildfire behaviour. Fuel management techniques involve manual and mechanical methods, possibly in combination with prescribed burning, to create community fire guards. Fire guards (firebreaks), which act as barriers to fire spread, are made by clearing or thinning vegetation (fuels) around structures and/or facilities at risk.

A community fuel management program should prioritise potential treatment areas to include:

• high-value facilities with high levels of public use (i.e., parks, resort areas) • higher-density developments or facilities located in areas with high fuel loading (i.e., subdivisions with unreliable fireflow that border areas of heavy fuels) • key facilities (i.e., vital transportation corridors, communications towers)

Opportunities for fuel management pilot projects on public lands in high-hazard interface areas should be pursued with the Union of BC Municipalities.

Disposal of Vegetation (Fuels)

Fuel reduction can result in large amounts of material requiring disposal. Better means of fuel disposal need to be explored. Many brushfires start as a result of escaped backyard burns. Illegal dumping of yard waste and garbage is a chronic problem.

Disposal of vegetation uses several methods:

ƒ Landfill disposal ƒ Composting ƒ Chipping ƒ Salvage ƒ Prescribed/Licensed Burning

Effective fuel disposal methods need to be convenient, reasonably priced, and environmentally-friendly.

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STRUCTURAL OPTIONS

Fire mitigation strategies should consider the safety of buildings in the interface zone. Design standards for the construction or retrofit of interface buildings must address:

ƒ Roofing – fire-retardant roof covering assemblies rated Class A, B, or C (i.e., metal, tile, ULC-rated asphalt)

ƒ Siding – non-combustible siding materials (i.e., stucco, metal siding, brick, cement shingles or cementitious materials, poured concrete, or ULC-rated wood siding)

ƒ Interior sprinkling (new structures) in high to extreme interface areas with low pressure or volume in street mains, or areas lacking a community piped water system, and, at the very least, inground sprinkling.

Photos 82-84. Interface fires.

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INFRASTRUCTURE

Infrastructure includes the network of roadways, open spaces, water supply, services and utilities that comprises a community. Infrastructure also includes planning tools available to local government to protect life and property in the interface.

Access:

Access routes should be built and maintained to facilitate safe and efficient access for both residents and firefighters.

Roads should be designed using looped networks capable of accommodating two-way access. Roads should meet minimum standards for width, gradient, and curvature standards.

Driveways should not restrict the access of the largest emergency vehicle likely to be operated on the driveway. Like roads, driveways should meet minimum standards for width, gradient, and curvature standards.

Insurance Industry Standards

The industry standard distance for water tender response is 8 km (approximately10 minutes). This assumes the area being protected is a low hazard type of area. The industry standard for hydrant coverage in areas with community piped water is 300 m.

Fireflow

An adequate and reliable water supply for firefighting is an essential part of the fire protection system of a community. In built-up areas, a piped system with domestic potable water service is used.

Across the province, there are no consistent standards for water supply for firefighting (fireflow) in areas lacking community piped water. A standard fireflow is easily met in a developed area with a water distribution system and hydrants, or, in some cases with a pumper relay operation, but may be difficult to use in conventional tanker-shuttle operation, especially when response time varies. The ability to direct relay pump to structures close to water sources must be considered.

In areas lacking a community water system, the Fire Underwriters Survey Guide (FUS) and National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards recommend a minimum fireflow of 1,000 L/min for 2 hours. The Fire Underwriters Survey is advocating increasing minimum fireflow in rural areas to 2,000 L/min for 2 hours.

In areas without community piped water, year-round rural drafting sites are encouraged to provide additional fire protection. Such sites should be capable of supplying adequate fireflow at all times of the year, including under extreme dry weather conditions.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 69 Supplementary Water Supply for Fire Fighting:

Supplementary water supply for fire fighting purposes is recommended at individual residences in high hazard areas (NFPA, MoF Protection, FireSmart 2003). The minimum recommended supply is 7,570 L. Supplementary water for fire fighting purposes could consist of a gravity-fed system installed uphill of a structure. Vented, steel bolted, upright tanks on concrete slab provide suitable water storage vessels. Storage vessels should have 37-mm hose connections, and should be located within 15 m of the structure.

Emergency Water Supply:

Interface buildings without a pressurised water system should have at least one large water barrel and a 10-L fire pail.

Fire Fighting Services

Fire departments responsible for interface areas must be equipped with appropriate suppression equipment and vehicles.

Planning Tools

Various planning tools available to local government are preventative measures to reduce the risk of lives and structures in the interface. These tools, used at the time of subdivision, planning, and building and servicing, are generally applicable to new development, not existing lots and structures.

Intervention by government can include regulatory planning tools related to land use bylaws and procedures, subdivision development and design bylaws and procedures, and landscaping and building construction bylaws and processes.

Development Permits

Section 919.1 of the Local Government Act provides authority to designate specific areas as Development Permit Areas. Under the Local Government Act, Development Permit areas must be designated in an Official Community Plan (OCP).

Development Permit Areas are designated for specific purposes, including protection of development from hazardous conditions (i.e., wildfire). A development permit may include requirements respecting the character of the development, including landscaping, and the siting, form, exterior design and finish of buildings and structures.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 70 Wildland Urban Interface Assessment

Prior to the issuance of a development permit, the local government can require the applicant to provide, at the applicant’s expense, a Wildland Urban Interface Assessment, conducted by a qualified RPF or RFT with relevant applicable experience.

Covenants

Section 219 of the Land Title Act permits local governments to request Section 219 covenants. The covenants can be utilised to address interface fire protection measures (i.e., Fuel-Free Zones around structures, on-going vegetation maintenance, building materials and design, and installation of sprinklers).

Limitations to the use of covenants include difficulty in enforcing over time, and low compliance rates. Existing properties and structures are not subject to the covenants.

Subdivision and Servicing Bylaws

Local governments can use their subdivision and servicing bylaws to address the risk from interface fire. Under Section 938 of the Local Government Act, local governments may regulate by bylaw the provision of works and services to lands that are being subdivided. The authority extends to alignment and gradient of roads, and types of servicing, including hydrants. Specific bylaws may be established for different areas.

Local Building Bylaws

Under the Local Government Act, local governments may include in their own building bylaws specific to areas at high risk for interface fires. Section 694 (1) allows local governments to mandate fire resistant building construction.

Fire Management in Parks

Cooperative planning is an effective tool to minimise the risk of interface fires in and adjacent to parklands.

Photo 85. Signage at Brown Heritage Park.

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SECTION 9: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY – ACTION PLAN

Mitigative action to reduce the threat of fire in wildland urban interface areas is primarily a responsibility of the community. The Town of Qualicum Beach, in concert with the Qualicum Beach Fire Department and provincial fire protection agencies, can take the lead in development and implementation of risk reduction strategies and policies.

Effective public education and community involvement can encourage home and property owners to take their own preventative measures in interface fire risk areas.

Government planning tools can be used to develop various mitigative strategies, and to ensure mitigation is carried out on a long-term basis.

The following recommendations are aimed at reducing the risk of interface fire at the Town of Qualicum Beach:

Education and Community Involvement:

o Continue to involve the public in interface issues through an effective education and public awareness program.

o As recommended in Firestorm 2003, adopt the FireSmart (Partners in Protection 2003) standard for community protection, both for public and private property.

o Promote FireSmart at community events: Fire and Ice, Canada Day, National Forest Week, Fire Prevention Week, etc.

o Continue to support the Fire Department’s fire prevention programs at local elementary and middle schools.

o Ensure any regulatory action taken by the Qualicum Beach Fire Department to educate residents about interface actions is done in consultation with local the Ministry of Forests and Range Protection Branch.

o Collaborate with neighbouring jurisdictions (i.e., Parksville, Errington) that have completed Community Wildfire Protection Plans, in order to manage high risk areas along jurisdiction boundaries.

o Invite Mayor Ella Brown of Logan Lake to present In Our Defense, the inspirational story of Logan Lake’s fire safety protection plan.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 72 Vegetation Management:

Fuel Modification Areas

o Encourage property owners in high-risk interface areas to establish and maintain Fuel Modification Zones around structures.

o Pursue opportunities for fuel management pilot projects (through UBCM) at high-hazard interface areas. Prioritise potential fuel management projects based on usage and values-at-risk. Candidate sites to consider for UBCM Pilot Projects include: - brush lands in the vicinity of the municipal airport – several human- caused fires recently occurred in area - District Lot 10 – forested lands containing underground aquifers that provide the Town’s water supply - Brown Heritage Forest – valuable ecosystems with high fuel loading, located in close proximity to high-density residential area - Community Park – forested lands and trails border Park - wooded sections of E&N Railway corridor bordering existing and proposed residential areas.

Cooperation between government and private land owners is recommended regarding fuel treatment on mixed tenures.

o Continue to cooperate with forest companies operating in the area: - ensure slash is abated properly and promptly following harvest - ensure regular patrols of operating areas during the fire season - ensure access agreements allow fire officials access to keys/gates - encourage forest companies to review operating schedules with MoFR and Fire Department - minimise the potential for human-caused fires by encouraging operators to reduce surface fuels 10 to 15 m from road areas on recently logged areas

o Continue to cooperate with agricultural land users to develop efficient means of fuel disposal methods that meet stringent environmental standards.

Parks and Trails

o Continue to provide regular patrols of high-risk parks during fire season.

o Continue signage program at community parks and trails warning of high fire hazard (i.e., no campfires, no smoking).

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 73 o Encourage residents in high-risk park / interface neighbourhoods to institute “Forest Watch” patrols during fire season.

o Reduce fine fuels 5 to 10 m from trail edges in local parks.

o Use non combustible trail surface material in local parks.

Fire-resistive Vegetation

o Encourage residents in high hazard areas to landscape with fire-resistive vegetation. See FireSmart Landscaping on Southeastern Vancouver Island, Strathcona Forestry Consulting, 2004 http://www.district.langford.bc.ca/document/brochures/FireSmartLandscaping.pdf

Fuel Disposal

o Cooperate with the Regional District of Nanaimo on a standardised burning bylaw.

o Investigate the feasibility of a bylaw to license the disposal of land clearing debris in machine stacked piles (to be taken to a licensed disposal facility, or chipped onsite).

Infrastructure:

Liaison with Federal Agencies

o Continue to cooperate with the Department of Fisheries and Oceans to safeguard the Little Qualicum hatchery from wildfire.

o Continue to cooperate with the Canadian Wildlife Service on fire protection and prevention at the Marshall Stevenson Wildlife Area.

Liaison with Provincial Agencies

o Continue to cooperate with the Ministry of Forests and Range Wildland Fire Services on fire protection and prevention in interface areas of the Town.

o Cooperate with the Ministry of Forests and Range to ensure standardised implementation of Coastal fire bans throughout the Region.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 74 Regional Planning Perspective

o Cooperate with the Nanaimo Regional District on improvements in fire suppression capabilities in unprotected contract areas of Qualicum’s Fire Protection Area.

Local Planning Tools

o Designate development permit areas (DPAs) for wildfires in the Official Community Plan (OCP). For areas that are designated for future development in the OCP (that is, not already zoned for development), ensure that the secondary plans or bylaw amendment applications contain development permit areas for interface fire risk mitigation. Consider applying DPAs to existing developed/subdivided areas in or next to high or extreme hazard areas.

o Issue FireSmart pamphlets to development applicants.

o Prior to the issuance of a development permit, require the applicant to submit a Wildland Urban Interface Assessment, conducted by a qualified RPF or RFT with relevant applicable experience.

o Utilise Sec. 219 covenants to address interface fire protection measures (i.e., Fuel-Free Zones around structures, on-going vegetation maintenance, building materials and design, and installation of sprinklers).

o Continue to regulate by bylaw the provision of works and services to lands that are being subdivided in order to provide consistent standards for access and water service (i.e., proposed development at Glengarry). Continue Fire Department reviews of new subdivisions.

o Use local Building Bylaws to mandate preventative measures in new developments in high risk areas.

Access

o Require new roads and driveways to meet minimum FireSmart guidelines, in accordance with the latest edition of the “Manual on Geometric Design Standards for Canadian Roads and Streets” (Roads and Transportation Association of Canada).

o Investigate the feasibility of developing fire access routes into the Residential Estate area.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 75 Firefighting

o Enable the fire department to utilise and /or acquire equipment with bush capabilities (i.e., bush truck).

Fireflow

o Cooperate with agricultural landowner at west end of Claymore to investigate feasibility of installing a dry hydrant or tank to supply initial fireflow requirements.

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Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan Strathcona Forestry Consulting Page 76 SECTION 9: IMPLEMENTATION

No plan is complete until it is implemented.

Local government must take the responsibility for implementation.

The Community Wildfire Protection Plan for the Town of Qualicum Beach should circulate to relevant municipal departments within three months of the plan’s submission to the Town. Recommendations in the plan should be reviewed by Mayor and council in consideration of official adoption of the plan. An opportunity to review the plan should be provided to regional government and neighbouring jurisdictions. A public review process should be scheduled within six months of the plan’s submission to the Town.

Maintenance of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan should include an annual schedule for monitoring and evaluating the programmatic outcomes established in the Plan.

Regular evaluations of the Community Wildfire Protection Plan should 1) assess the effectiveness of programs, and 2) identify any changes in hazard-risk assessments.

Coordinating agencies responsible for various implementation processes should report on the status of their projects, the success of various implementation processes, difficulties encountered, success of coordination efforts, and which strategies should be revised or removed. Organizations participating in the Plan evaluation should be clearly identified in the evaluation.

Fire protection and prevention in the interface is an ongoing process.

Photo 86. Wildfire.

Town of Qualicum Beach - Community Wildfire Protection Plan