Photo by Vince Fedoroff
THE MOST SERIOUS THREAT – A Yukon Wildland Fire Management water bomber drops a load on a blaze in the Marwell area in 2009. EXPLAINING THE RISKS – Left to right: Keith Fickling, the wildland fire protection manager, Myles Dolphin, the city’s communication officer, and Whitehorse deputy fire chief Chris Green discuss the Hazard Identification and Risk Analysis during Tuesday’s media briefing.
A hazard analysis commissioned by the city shows wildfires to be the highest threat with the greatest consequence.
A hazard analysis commissioned by the city shows wildfires to be the highest threat with the greatest consequence.
The Hazard Identification and Risk Analysis was delivered to city council at its meeting Monday evening.
The $25,000 report by a B.C. company lists the top 28 hazards and the risks they pose to the community. They range from wildfires to the failure of the Whitehorse Rapids dam.
Under the category of natural hazards, wildfires present the greatest hazard with the highest risk of occurring.
A major earthquake might be as devastating as a wildfire, but the likelihood and risk of a major shaker occurring is much less likely than a forest fire.
Under hazards related to human hazards and hazards related to technology, a catastrophe related to hazardous materials such as an incident involving the Marwell tank farm presents the greatest risk, though it’s less likely than a wildfire.
The failure of the Whitehorse dam would be the most devastating of human-related hazards, but on a scale of likelihood to occur from one to six, it’s sitting as a one, or least likely.
The 28 hazards identified include extreme cold, a failure in telecommunications, a system-wide loss of drinking water, floods, road and air transportation incidents, freezing rain and a loss of the LNG plant.
Whitehorse deputy fire chief Chris Green and Keith Fickling, the wildland fire protection manager, explained the analysis at a media briefing Tuesday.
Green explained while the analysis captured 28 hazards and risks, it does not mean it covered them all.
But it does allow the city to focus on the top six, including wildfires, extreme cold and the possibility of a major earthquake under natural hazards and a hazardous material incident, structural fire and road transportation emergency under human and technological hazards.
Green mentioned the city will continue on with its annual fuel abatement and FireSmarting program, in partnership with Yukon Wildland Fire Management.
The city’s capital budget identifies $700,000 over the next four years for fuel abatement initiatives, including $200,000 this year.
Fickling pointed out the Yukon government commits $300,000 annually for fuel abatement and FireSmart projects within the city’s municipal boundaries.
A report out of Fort McMurray, Alta., following the tragic wildfire of 2016 indicated FireSmarting by homeowners had been conducted around many of the homes that were saved, Green pointed out.
“People understand they have a responsibility to FireSmart their homes,” he said.
“FireSmarting around your home is a key thing if you want your home to survive.”
A quiz on FireSmarting around your home is available on the city’s website, pointed out Myles Dolphin, the city’s communication officer.
Fickling said the hazard and risk analysis lays out on paper, or quantifies for the general public, what the hazards are.
Dolphin pointed that out under the initiatives recommended to prepare for wildfires is having an evacuation plan using both primary and secondary roads and even air transportation.
“Such a plan should have the capacity to guide the evacuation of all residents in response to a significant incident,” says the analysis.
Dolphin said residents of Whitehorse have been asking for evacuation plans and routes.
The city, he said, will be rolling those out this spring as part of the annual Operation Nanook emergency response exercise that occurs across the North in different locations.
The two-week exercise in late May and early June will include a wildfire component, Dolphin said.
He said the evacuation plan will be part of Operation Nanook. It will involve the actual evacuation of community volunteers from subdivisions, most likely in the south end of the city.
The need for communication has been identified in the analysis as key, the deputy fire chief noted.
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Comments (16)
Up 1 Down 1
nonconfidencevote on Feb 26, 2019 at 5:35 pm
No amount of warnings.
No amount of preparation.
Will stop a forest fire.
It will happen during a long hot Summer.
High winds from the south.
Lightning.
Or some idiot with a tossed cigarette.
Get out of the way.
A friend of mine who is a firefighter in Coquitlam was sent to the Kelowna fires a decade or so ago.
They were deployed not to suppress the forest fires.
Nope.
The were there to protect buildings, farms, etc.
The watched the fire and moved to areas they knew were in its path and set up huge inflatable tanks(ponds) that they filled with pumps and hoses from nearby streams.
Then they waited.
About 10 hours later they heard it coming.
Trees exploding. the heat, smoke, sparks the increasing wind fanned by the flames....an inferno.
The forestry crew told them to wait, wait , wait, Ok Now.
They poured water on the barns, house, garage, etc.
All the trees burned around them and the fire was gone in 20 minutes.
Buildings saved.
Insurance company happy.....
Forest fire had moved on.
And they were almost out of their water.
Up 5 Down 2
Hoby Irwin on Feb 26, 2019 at 12:16 pm
Last night at PCSS there was a meeting sponsored by the Porter Creek Community Association regarding Fire Smart in Porter Creek. Four members of the PCCA executive were there, Keith Fickling the Regional Protection Manager, the two local Liberal MLAs for PC (the YP MLA doesn't come to the PCCA meetings) and 5 members of the public. Plans for the 2019 FireSmart season where being made. Too bad none of the complainers here could be bothered to attend.
Up 3 Down 3
Wilf Carter on Feb 26, 2019 at 12:11 pm
Talk to people in BC, Ontario, Alberta, US and they will tell you the difference. I had friend of my wife who almost died in fire if it was not for two firemen. I have studied forestry engineering and fire is real danger to Whitehorse and when it comes fingers will be pointed everywhere.
Up 8 Down 2
Spark Reality on Feb 26, 2019 at 7:02 am
The gravest threat to Whitehorse comes from the leadership - Not fires!
Up 5 Down 4
north_of_60 on Feb 25, 2019 at 8:46 pm
People are quick to forget that the Ft Mac fire got out of control because an inept government failed to use fire suppression resources intelligently. The NDP govt canceled the water bomber contracts two weeks before the fire. Water bombers were not available for an initial response and ground crews failed to fight the fire aggressively at the beginning when they could have controlled it. That fire was also set by people upwind of the town. It's almost as if the anti-oil NDP government wanted Ft Mac to burn. That unique situation doesn't exist here.
No amount of wishful firesmarting can counter stupidity from inept governments and ineffective bureaucracies. As long as the government maintains adequate fire suppression resources at the ready during fire season then we shouldn't be overly concerned.
Firesmart efforts should be focused on the forests bordering highways and around campgrounds. Firesmart those areas where careless people would have the greatest fire impact.
Up 7 Down 3
Peter Cambridge on Feb 24, 2019 at 5:49 pm
Max Mack
I think people who want to protect trees and trails see the merit of fire breaks and proactive protection for all residents.
I was astounded that a spokesperson said we were responsible and did not ban campfires during an extreme fire danger period last summer.
Some people have the experience or knowledge of wildfires and fire breaks etc., to know fire smarting is often wishful thinking. We are not prepared which involves many factors. And we have been very lucky so far. I personally would like the people who protect us to get the funding and resources to elevate programs that afford more protection.
Up 23 Down 4
Max Mack on Feb 22, 2019 at 1:16 pm
Yes - on a long enough timescale, an "urban interface fire" (aka forest fire that has hit the city) will be a significant event if the fire occurs in the right conditions.
However, if those conditions are met, it is very unlikely that any amount of "firesmarting" or man-made fire breaks or technology or manpower will solve the problem. A fire that extreme will simply burn through and over everything in its path.
Anything less than extreme conditions can be handled by existing resources. Firesmarting is way overrated, particularly in the Yukon context.
It is amazing to me that the same people screaming about saving a single tree from being touched by industry or the "dreaded ATVer" is willing to cut down swaths of forest to protect their walking trails.
Up 18 Down 2
Alan Manning on Feb 22, 2019 at 12:54 pm
Fire smart programs may help somewhat but they will not do much if a southern fire with a wind comes our way.
Look at ft Mac and buildings with grass around them that burned. Look at the exodus from that firestorm on the roads.
The industry people have to get their act together and tell the public how best to prepare and get the hell out of here when it goes south.
People who say they have our backs and it's all good are delusional. This threat is immense because we simply are not ready for it.
Up 11 Down 5
Groucho d'North on Feb 22, 2019 at 8:43 am
The gravest threat to Whitehorse, or anywhere is people who have not made any plans to care for themselves during emergency situations. When something hits the fan, they panic because they don't know how to care for themselves or their family members. There is lots of information available from a variety of sources on how to prepare and plan for these situations when they occur. The 72 Hour program covers most situations well enough to keep people safe and secure until formal government response programs are in place and operating, which can take time (like up to three days) to get rolling.
Governments can do a better job of sharing their plans with the public too so that families know how the larger machine works and their part played in it. YG used to have their emergency plan posted to their website, but for some reason it got taken down. I suspect that not many residents have emergency kits prepared nor do their kids know how to contact mom & dad during an emergency....if they can because of an overwhelmed cell phone network.
Up 11 Down 2
Boyd Campbell on Feb 21, 2019 at 8:22 pm
This report is the catalyst which kicks the whole butt covering process into action. Someday, perhaps not in my tenure here, Whitehorse will be Fort McMurray if we allow one to get going. We need a " Whitehorse City limits" plan here and we have to start in the schools, the paper, social media and elsewhere to to educate the seriousness of this situation.
The "you'll never get the chance to point the finger at me" will have some entertainment value but it does nothing to mitigate the problems which we are facing. We, the public, are not interested in the game playing which could unfold here. What we are interested in is a collective effort to make sure we get this fire when it is small and somewhat controllable. That means early detection and we have experienced trained people who can figure this out. The few dollars we try to save by not having a detection system will go up in flames with our properties.
Up 23 Down 2
seriously? on Feb 21, 2019 at 4:02 pm
It cost us how much to state the obvious?
Up 14 Down 2
Hoby Irwin on Feb 21, 2019 at 12:38 pm
@Alan. They've been happening all the time all you have to do is contact fire smart or one of the community associations, they are handling the proposals in each area. Porter Creek Community Association is hosting a fire smart meeting the 25th of February at PCSS at 7:30 in the library. All are welcome.
Up 18 Down 8
BnR on Feb 21, 2019 at 12:36 pm
One simple thing the CofW could do would be to close the Chadburn lake road to public access at say 11 pm. I’m betting that when we do get a fast moving wildfire, it’s going to come from a party goers neglected fire out by Chadburn or Schwatka, or a discarded cigarette out that way. The amount of traffic on that road in the middle of summer nights is pretty high.
Up 22 Down 3
Jody Woodland on Feb 21, 2019 at 12:32 pm
I think we need to consider cutting a significant fire break in the valley south of town. If a fire got out of control down that way and was pushed along by typical south winds, it could sweep through the entire town.
Up 30 Down 0
Mike on Feb 21, 2019 at 12:05 pm
The City of Whitehorse used our money to pay someone $25,000.00 to do a risk assessment on Whitehorse??? It’s a no brainer that the greatest risk is forest fire.
The question is what is the City of Whitehorse going to do about this??
Up 17 Down 5
Alan Manning on Feb 20, 2019 at 6:37 pm
I think we need public meetings to allow people to become aware of the Wildfire risk.