Residents of Bragg Creek are gearing up for wildfire season after recent scares in other Alberta communities.
Several Bragg Creek residents, along with Rocky View County councillor Mark Kamachi, will be revitalizing the Fire Smart Committee for the area.
Kamachi said in light of the fires in Fort McMurray in 2016 and Waterton last year, being prepared may help protect Bragg Creek from the same fate.
“The whole thought of Bragg Creek and area going up in flames is quite likely now,” Kamachi said. “We’re one cigarette butt away from disaster.”
Kamachi explains being “fire smart” is being aware of your property and of any deadfall or debris that could act as fuel for a fire.
“Everything from cutting back trees within 10 metres, getting rid of dead branches, wood in the yard, not piling up fuel sources such as firewood for your home during the winter against the house, cleaning out any debris under decks,” he said. “Anything that could catch on fire and make it worse or ignite quickly around your house.”
Kamachi said the committee helps educate the public about ways they can help.
The Rocky View County Fire Services chief is on board with the plan, which Kamachi hopes can help with spreading awareness. One potential community event Kamachi hopes to have is a controlled fire demonstration by fire services.
“If you actually saw a fire ignite and spread, action like that will be more believable and probably will sink into people’s craniums a bit more and not be taken so lightly,” Kamachi said.
He adds that fire services often can’t make it on time to save the house, usually only to prevent it from spreading.
“It’s kind of the scary thing, given where we live. We don’t have fire hydrants in Bragg Creek, the water has to be trucked in,” he said. “To me, public education is number one..The last thing we need is an actual fire to say, ‘Hey, maybe we should prevent.’ We’ve had too many hints from other communities.”
Gary Nikiforuk, a Bragg Creek resident of more than 20 years, was recently appointed chair of the committee.
“It was clear that the fire risk issues out here hadn’t been addressed for some time and I think it was something that a number of us all saw as a need for the community,” Nikiforuk said.
While educating community members is important, Nikiforuk said addressing emergency response plans is also a priority. This includes emergency routes, as there is currently only one exit out of West Bragg Creek.
The other problem he notes is the area’s patchy cell service. Nikiforuk said an emergency notification plan is essential.
“If we do have a problem, how do we notify folks? Because out in this area the cell phone coverage can be challenging at times,” Nikiforuk said. “There’s definitely dead spots out here.”
The Fire Smart Committee is hoping to engage with surrounding communities including nearby First Nations communities.
The committee saw over a dozen residents at the first meeting and is actively recruiting more residents of Bragg Creek to join their next meeting in the coming weeks. No date has been set.
