While preventative maintenance is something more for vehicles, the City of Grand Forks and the Ministry of Forests, Land and Natural Resource Operations (MFLNRO) could do some work that will benefit residents, especially with summer coming.
City council has tentatively given approval (pending things such as public consultation) to a plan from the MFLNRO, which calls for trimming and pruning of trees and removal of dead pine needles on a parcel of land behind Extra Foods and next to Angus McDonald Park. It is all in the interests of preventing a wildfire in the city.
Attack crews from an MFLNRO fire base in Grand Forks would do the work, at no charge to the city, and even if the work did dip into city coffers, it would be well worth it.
The Grand Forks area saw warmer temperatures last week and while there were clouds and showers earlier this week, summer is approaching and, generally speaking, Grand Forks isn’t known to have a lot of rain in July and August.
When everything is tinder-dry, it doesn’t take a lot to start a wildfire – just ask people in Kelowna – and a wildfire in the city would be catastrophic, especially in that area of Grand Forks.
While city residents approved a loan authorization bylaw to borrow money to a maximum of $1.3 million for emergency water supply to the west end of the city (the area where the work would take place) work to establish that has not yet begun and a fire would put a huge strain on the water system as it is.
The city has yet to consult with city residents about this and there are some inconveniences to people who live near the area where the work is about to be done – the sound of chainsaws for instance – but it is well worth it, especially with the hot dry summers that Grand Forks can have.
While the cost of labour will be borne by the ministry, the city would have to pick up the tab on disposing and cleaning up the debris but it is all worth it. Being prudent doesn’t involve planning for a fire after it happens.
It involves making plans before and the city is doing just that.