In a recent update with Black Press, Clearwater mayor Merlin Blackwell said that he is hoping residents are prepared for the undeniable drought conditions that are sadly a fact for most of B.C., and equally prepared to diligently plan ahead for emergencies.
“B.C. is in its worst drought in a long time, definitely as long as measurements have been taken in most places. Don’t believe me, ask the fishermen, kayakers, and rafters, ask the ranchers and farmers,” he said. “Water conservation measures are becoming a reality for most of B.C. now. We won’t be exempt from that, so get ready for it. Lawns will go brown; cars will go unwashed.”
Blackwell is urging residents in the District of Clearwater to take FireSmart measures very seriously, giving the example of the Lytton fire that destroyed 90 per cent of the small town in June 2021.
“One lesson of the Lytton fire was that it would’ve taken the entire fire department of the City of Calgary to have stopped Lytton from burning. I hope the significance of that sinks in.”
He speaks with pride about the dedication of first responders in the North Thompson, saying “We have a fantastic local volunteer fire department and great neighbouring fire departments, but they only have the capacity to stop one or two home fires at a time. Even with our new structural protection trailer, that only gives us the ability to protect a dozen or so homes at a time.”
Blackwell recently discussed the critical wildfire extremes in B.C. with a fellow mayor.
“I had a long talk with my good friend Mayor Sarrah Storey of Fraser Lake yesterday, a town that is surrounded right now by Wildfires of Note. She is convinced, and I agree, that the BC Wildfire Service is stretched to the limit already. Yesterday a call went to the federal government for more firefighters.”
When asked about the recent presentation by Wells Gray Community Forest committee representative Darren Coates, regarding a proposed multi-million dollar recreation facility concept, and his concerns about such a large project, the mayor replied “Citizens need to know that if they are on the hook for annual maintenance of a such a facility it would require a significant tax increase.
“Without knowing the exact scope, but comparing to costs of existing facilities in other regions, that number would likely be a minimum of a 20 per cent [tax increase], and could reach 60 per cent or more if the entire ‘wish list’ were to happen. That doesn’t include funds needed to cover any potential long-term repairs or to cover borrowing costs if the full construction budget is not covered by the proponent.”
Circling back to the topics of drought and wildfires, Blackwell provided a checklist to share with readers that the DOC team is sharing locally as part of FireSmart planning. The mayor composed this list for residents as though he was speaking to them directly:
1. FireSmart your home now. Clean all the combustible out of carports and from around your homes. Give up on that cedar shrub and those cedar hedges close to the house: the Kamloops fire department refers to them as “cans of gasoline”. A shrub you paid $25 or $75 bucks for 20 years ago is not worth your house; get rid of it and plant some flowers next year instead.
Every home that is FireSmart safe, is a home that may survive a Lytton or Fort Mac fire without any or much effort from fire crews. Do them a favour. Roof sprinklers that are in place can help too. I have mine up with a hose dangling to the ground for fast connection.
2. Get your go-bag together. Pack some of your favourite comfy clothes; people often put in stuff they don’t wear only to find out after evacuating they don’t fit. Where are you going? Who can you stay with? The most vulnerable will need the shelters and buses, so if you can plan to completely take care of yourself and your family, that will save resources for others.
3. Conserve water now. We’re not ordering it yet, but droughts like this can go beyond low river levels, they can dry up wells. The North Thompson is at a 100-year low for this time of year. The water level today is at a level we don’t usually see until late September.
Blackwell urges, “I cannot overstate the level of concern the provincial and federal governments have about the current drought conditions and the forecast into the fall. We are seeing once in a lifetime dry conditions. We need to be prepared. Help each other and be prepared.”
