The Regional District of Central Okanagan (RDCO) will be able to better mitigate local wildfire risks with a new grant.
$250,000 has been awarded to the RDCO by the Government of British Columbia through the Union of B.C. Municipalities (UBCM) Community Resiliency Investment Fund.
The money will be used for FireSmart community projects. The RDCO will be looking to hire a FireSmart coordinator for one year to spearhead the projects.
The RDCO will also be contributing $30,000 towards the initiative.
“We are extremely grateful to the UBCM for this significant funding that acknowledges the important FireSmart work planned to assist residents in our electoral areas,” said RDCO Engineering Services Director David Komaike. “The FireSmart program and practices are proven to reduce the severity of wildfire and this grant will help many property owners with their emergency preparedness.”
The main goals of the coordinator position will be to develop a Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan, help with residential fire reduction assessments and provide FireSmart awareness to residents of the Central Okanagan.
The Okanagan, and most of the B.C. Interior, sustained a significant wildfire season in 2021.
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