West Fraser Donation
On Monday, Feb. 1, Adrian Plante, General Manager of the West Fraser Chasm Sawmill presented a cheque for $3,000 to Clinton Fire Chief Wayne Walch.
This is to go towards a sprinkler protection unit. The unit consists of sprinklers and hose that can be placed on houses or other structures in the event of a wildfire. It was units like this that protected the properties on Jesmond Road during the 2009 Kelly Creek Wildfire.
The unit will be carried on Clinton Fire Department apparatus during the wildfire season. It will be used to protect the Village of Clinton Fire Protection Area, which includes Chasm Sawmills, in the event of a wildfire.
The Clinton Fire Department thanks Chasm Sawmills for their generous donation.
Fire Smart Presentation
Also on Monday, Feb. 1, the Village of Clinton hosted a presentation of The Clinton FireSmart Program in the Clinton Memorial Hall.
Forty-six Clinton and area residents took advantage of the information available to help safeguard their properties from wildfires.
The program is a joint effort by the Province of BC, Village of Clinton and West Fraser Sawmills.
The Province provided a Fire-Smart grant of $10,000 for the program. The Village of Clinton is coordinating the program and acreage owners can receive assistance from West Fraser to enact their individual FireSmart Plan if they wish.
It was stressed that any information collected on a FireSmart Plan will not be shared with anyone other than the home/property owner. Data that measures the success of the program will not reveal any individual property information.
Village of Clinton Mayor Jim Rivett was master of ceremonies for the presentation which included (for the province) Krista Dunleavey, Fire Center Manager for the Cariboo, Shelly Harnden, Forest Protection Technician for 100 Mile House Zone and for West Fraser, Adrian Plante, Chasm Sawmill Manager and Chad Swanson, Woodlands Manager, 100 Mile House.
Shelly Harnden outlined the FireSmart Program and why it is important to carry out protective measures on your property. With graphic phots of what can and does happen to houses, etc. during a wildfire, and how a property can survive intact if properly protected prior to a fire, it was obvious that the program would be a benefit.
A FireSmart Plan includes completion of the “Home and Site Hazard Assessment” and “Other FireSmart Considerations” forms. These give the home/property owner an evaluation of their property.
Home owners in the Village can call on Robin Fennell to help with their confidential evaluation. Robin is a 30-year fire fighter and long term resident of the Village.
Acreage owners where treed areas are a concern can ask Steve Law, Registered Professional Forester for assistance with their confidential Home and Site evaluation and advice on their forested areas.
West Fraser Mills will work with homeowners who wish to have trees removed from their acreages to make the safer. The Mill will purchase logs and help with the FireSmart implementation.
Anyone who missed the presentation and would like more information is welcome to drop by the Village Office during regular office hours. The evaluation forms are also available at “BCWildfire.ca” for those who wish to download and complete them on their own.
The presentation gave one a lot to think about from what materials our homes are constructed of and what we plant or store around our homes. It is well worth looking into.
Susan Swan