District of Houston Community Wildfire Protection Plan June 2018 Prepared By: Prepared for: Rebecca Werner, RFT District of Houston Brad Layton, RFT P.O. Box 370 Pro-Tech Forest Resources Houston, BC P.O. Box 100 V0J-1Z0 Telkwa, BC V0J-2X0 Contents Acknowledgments .................................................................................................................................................................. 1 References ................................................................................................................................................................................ 1 Acronym Glossary ................................................................................................................................................................... 2 Summary of CWPP Recommendations. .......................................................................................................................... 3 Section 1: Introduction ......................................................................................................................................................... 6 1.1. Purpose ..................................................................................................................................................................... 6 1.2 CWPP Planning Process ............................................................................................................................................ 6 Section 2: Local Area Description .................................................................................................................................... 7 2.1 CWPP Area of Interest ............................................................................................................................................... 7 2.2 Community Description ............................................................................................................................................ 7 2.3 Past Wildfires, Evacuation and Impacts ............................................................................................................. 8 2.4 Current Community Engagement ......................................................................................................................... 8 2.5 Linkages to Other Plans & Policies ....................................................................................................................... 8 2.5.1 Local Authority Emergency Plan ....................................................................................................................... 9 2.5.2 Affiliated CWPPs ...................................................................................................................................................... 9 2.5.3 Local Government & First Nation Plans & Policies .................................................................................... 9 2.5.4 Higher Level Plans and Relevant Legislation ............................................................................................. 10 2.5.5 Ministry or Industry Plans ................................................................................................................................. 10 2.6 Summary of Recommendations .......................................................................................................................... 11 Section 3: Values at Risk .................................................................................................................................................... 11 3.1 Human Life and Safety ............................................................................................................................................ 11 3.2 Critical Infrastructure .............................................................................................................................................. 12 3.2.1 Electrical Power ..................................................................................................................................................... 13 3.2.2 Communications, Pipelines, Municipal Buildings .................................................................................... 13 3.2.3 Water, Sewage ......................................................................................................................................................... 14 3.3 High Environmental and Cultural Values ........................................................................................................ 14 3.3.1 Drinking Water Supply Area/Community Watersheds ......................................................................... 14 3.3.2 Cultural Values ........................................................................................................................................................ 15 3.3.3 High Environmental Values` ............................................................................................................................. 15 3.4 Other Resource Values ............................................................................................................................................ 15 3.5 Hazardous Values at Risk Data ............................................................................................................................ 16 3.6 Summary of Recommendations .......................................................................................................................... 16 Section 4: Wildfire Threat and Risk ............................................................................................................................. 16 4.1 Fire Regime, Fire Danger Days & Climate Change ....................................................................................... 17 4.1.1 Fire Regime .............................................................................................................................................................. 17 4.1.2 Fire Weather Rating ............................................................................................................................................. 17 4.1.3 Climate Change ....................................................................................................................................................... 18 4.2 Provincial Strategic Threat Analysis (PSTA).................................................................................................. 19 4.2.1 PSTA Final Wildfire Threat Rating ................................................................................................................. 19 4.2.2 Spotting Impact ...................................................................................................................................................... 19 4.2.3 Head Fire Intensity................................................................................................................................................ 20 4.2.4 Fire History .............................................................................................................................................................. 20 4.3 Local Wildfire Threat Assessment ..................................................................................................................... 21 4.3.1 Fuel Type Verification .......................................................................................................................................... 21 4.3.2 Proximity of Fuel to the Community ............................................................................................................. 22 4.3.3 Fire Spread Patterns (i.e. ISI Roses) ............................................................................................................... 22 4.3.4 Topography .............................................................................................................................................................. 23 4.3.6 Local Wildfire Threat Classification ............................................................................................................... 23 4.3.7 Local Wildfire Risk Classifications .................................................................................................................. 23 4.3.8 Summary of Fire Risk Classes ........................................................................................................................... 24 Section 5: Risk Management and Mitigation Factors............................................................................................. 24 5.1 Fuel Management ...................................................................................................................................................... 24 Proposed treatments for fuel management:.......................................................................................................... 27 5.2 FireSmart Planning & Activities .......................................................................................................................... 32 5.2.1 FireSmart Goals & Objectives ........................................................................................................................... 32 5.2.2 Key Aspects of FireSmart for Local Government ...................................................................................... 32 5.2.3 Identify Priority Areas within the Area of Interest for FireSmart ..................................................... 34 5.3 Community Communication