Westlock County Wildfire Mitigation Plan
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WESTLOCK COUNTY WILDFIRE MITIGATION PLAN September 2018 1 Westlock County Wildfire Mitigation Plan 1.0 Introduction Westlock County is located in North Central Alberta (figure 1), covering 3,171 km² with a population of 7,220 citizens. Communities include the Village of Clyde, 9 hamlets, and 18 registered subdivisions. The population of the County includes a significant component of rural residences on farms and acreages. Wildfires have been an annual occurrence with significant wildfires occurring both inside and outside of the Forest Protection Area. Several wildfires have threatened human life and property, requiring aggressive and costly suppression and recovery operations. Figure 1: Westlock County Westlock County Emergency Services has a long history of FireSmart activities in partnership with Agriculture and Forestry (AAF) Wildfire Management staff in Lac La Biche, and the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA). The need for a County-wide wildfire mitigation plan was identified as a priority, to provide strategies and priorities for the next ten years. FRIAA provided FireSmart grant funding for the development of this Wildfire Mitigation Plan to address wildfire prevention and FireSmart program implementation. The purpose of the Westlock County Wildfire Mitigation Plan is to identify strategies to reduce wildfire threat to human life, communities and infrastructure countywide. The Wildfire Mitigation Plan will provide community wildfire risk priorities, and a clear set of strategies that draw from all 7 disciplines of FireSmart (FireSmart 2 Guidebook for Community Protection, 2013). Objectives of the Wildfire Mitigation Plan, in order of priority are: 1. To provide wildfire threat reduction strategies for community protection within Westlock County. 2. To evaluate and build upon past wildfire prevention initiatives. 3. To evaluate wildfire threat to values at risk in close proximity of Westlock County. This Wildfire Mitigation Plan is owned, operated, and maintained by Westlock County Emergency Services. Westlock County Emergency Services Fire Chief, John Biro is responsible for mitigation plan implementation and wildfire management leadership for Westlock County as a whole. Wildfire mitigation strategy implementation may be adjusted, based on operational priorities, staff workload, and funding availability. Westlock County is not obligated in any way to deliver the strategies indicated. 2.0 Key observations A wildfire mitigation strategy plan, by necessity, includes extensive analysis and gathering of background information. The core content of this plan is wildfire mitigation strategies. The following key observations are intended to provide a quick context to better understand the strategies and the priority setting that occurred through the planning team: 2.1 Concentrated areas of significant wildfire threat exist along the North and East ends of the County. 2.2 A number of communities and farmsteads are currently at risk within or in close proximity to identified areas of high to extreme wildfire threat. 2.3 The greatest FireSmart opportunities are related to emergency preparedness and public education. 2.4 Early detection presuppression strategies, and aggressive response to wildfires are likely to produce the greatest cost benefit. 2.5 Significant opportunities for low cost and effective commercial vegetation management exist in and around communities at risk. 2.6 Several communities located outside of forested areas are exposed to Spring and Fall wildfire threat due to cured fine fuels along linear features such as travel corridors and rail right of ways. 2.7 Land use strategies to promote effective range management offer significant wildfire threat reduction opportunities. 2.8 ATV and other recreation-caused wildfires increase wildfire threat in the SE corner of the County, and extend into Thorhild County and Sturgeon County. 2.9 Some parks and protected areas contribute to community wildfire threat due to the age, species and condition of the forests within them. 3 2.10A large portion of the County has a low overall wildfire threat due to the extent of agricultural operations. 2.11Significant values are at risk within the 10-kilometer buffer zone include the communities of Northbrook and Pinebrook, as well as Halfmoon Lake residences and recreational facilities. 2.12Past FireSmart projects are of value and will become more effective with a relatively small amount of maintenance effort. 2.13Communities exposed to high and extreme wildfire threat include; Long Island Lake East, Spruce Hills Estates, Nestow, Moon Acres, Tawatinaw, and Fawcett. 2.14Although the wildfire threat assessment process is useful and informative, data outside of the Forest Protection Area is of poor quality and requires a great deal of validation. 3.0 Planning approach Identification of a planning team and a plan boundary started the planning process. The planning team included a Wildfire Management Consultant, Alberta Agriculture and Forestry representation and County Emergency Services personnel. The planning team identified stakeholders for consultation purposes. A wildfire threat assessment provided the planning team a better understanding of the wildfire environment in relation to values at risk. The wildfire threat assessment consisted of data analysis and field assessments. This information revealed opportunities to set priorities and to identify location specific strategies to reduce wildfire risk. 3.1 Scope of planning The Westlock County Wildfire Mitigation Plan is intended to provide guidance to County Emergency Services for the next 10 years. It will address wildfire threat countywide and include a buffer that extends beyond the county boundary (see figure 2.) The buffer chosen was 10 kilometers based on fire behavior potential. The buffer zone assessment will provide important information regarding areas of high fire behavior potential in close proximity to the county. Values at risk identification and assessment within the buffer zone will help determine potential priorities for wildfires that spread from Westlock County to surrounding lands and will support mutual aid incidents. 4 Figure 2: Scope of the Westlock Wildfire Mitigation Plan 3.2 Planning Team The planning team was lead by John Biro, County Fire Chief. Nancey Havenga, Wildfire Technologist from Lac La Biche provided AAF support and input. Laurie Strutt, Director of Planning & Emergency Services, and Donna Dul, Fawcett Fire Captain were also planning team members. Herman Stegehuis, Wildfire Management Consultant provided facilitation and wildfire management planning services. Other technical specialists were consulted on an as needed basis. 3.3 Stakeholders Specific Government and non-government organizations will be consulted at the draft stage of planning, these include: • Athabasca County • Thorhild County • Sturgeon County • Barrhead County • Woodlands County • Municipal District of Lesser Slave River 124 • Village of Clyde Emergency Services • Summer Village of Larkspur • Town of Westlock • Alberta Environment and Parks • Alberta Emergency Management Agency County Administrative stakeholders that were consulted during the planning process included Westlock County Council and Leo Ludwig, Chief Administrative Officer. 5 3.4 Planning activities Planning activities included the following: 1. Wildfire threat assessment Wildfire threat assessment information was gathered from the Alberta Government Wildfire Management FireWeb database. The quality of data outside of the Forest Protection Area was not adequate to complete a thorough and comprehensive assessment. Data gaps were filled by way of aerial photography and field assessments. 2. Aerial reconnaissance A helicopter service was utilized to complete reconnaissance of communities and other values at risk. The Wildfire Consultant and Donna Dul of Westlock County Fire Department participated in the aerial reconnaissance. Wildfire threat information, primarily fuels data was validated during leaf-off conditions. Fuel paths and ember transplant potential was assessed within 2 or more kilometers of all communities within the County. This information was recorded on a PDF map Avenza application (refer to appendix F) on a mobile device, and shared with planning team members on a Dropbox account. A FireSmart zone 3+ 2km vulnerability rating of LOW, MODERATE, HIGH, or EXTREME was assigned to each community. 3. Field assessments Field assessments were conducted to determine vulnerability in FireSmart zones 1/2/3. Defensible space, access, water availability and other characteristics were documented and contributed to a vulnerability rating of LOW, MODERATE, HIGH or EXTREME within 100m of homes and other values at risk. All documentation and photos were added to the Avenza app and shared folder. 4. Air photograph and satellite imagery review Aerial photographs were used to further assess values at risk and validate fuels and fire behavior potential data. 5. Planning team working sessions An initial planning team session was carried out in January 2018 to review wildfire threat assessment and the planning process. A working session was conducted in August 2018 to review community risk assessments, values at risk priorities and potential wildfire mitigation strategies. All subsequent team interactions occurred by sharing information, draft plans, and updates via email and Dropbox. 6. Review of past FireSmart initiatives Westlock County past FireSmart initiatives include: 6 • Long Island Lake Wildland