Town Hall
The Wildfire Reality
Wildland forest fires are capable of spreading at an astonishing rate. Crowning forest fires often spread at up to 5.5 kilometres per hour, with spotting as far as 2 kilometres ahead. Windblown grass fires can spread at speeds up to 8.5 kilometres per hour.
In British Columbia, an average 48% of all wildfires are caused by human activity. Wildfire is also a natural phenomenon. Nearly
52% of British Columbia’s wildfires are caused by lightning strikes. Over the last several centuries, large areas of British Columbia have been burned over repeatedly.
52% of British Columbia’s wildfires are caused by lightning strikes. Over the last several centuries, large areas of British Columbia have been burned over repeatedly.Over the last 10 years, on average over 2,500 wildfires were started in British Columbia each year consuming over 25,000 hectares of forested land annually. Thousands of families were recently evacuated from their communities and hundreds of homes destroyed.
The Creston Valley is in and part of a forested region of our province. Sooner or later we may have to contend with the spread of a wildfire. The best protection against loss, damage or injury due to wildfire is prevention.
Please read our wildfire prevention information and use the FireSmart Home Owners’ Manual provided on this site for download and help all of us reduce that risk.
Click on the links below to learn more on what you can do to become FireSmart.
Safe Debris Burning - Tips on open burning to reduce the chance of a wildfire.
Protect Your Home - 50 tips on what you can do to better prepare yourself and your property.
FireSmart Manual (BC Edition) - Download this manual so that you and your neighbours can reduce the hazards of Wildfire by following these simple preventive steps.