Wildfire Protection Strategy
The Resort Municipality of Whistler is investing in an accelerated and aggressive wildfire protection program guided by a comprehensive Wildfire Protection Strategy. The strategy includes 17 prioritized recommendations for planning, fuel reduction and outreach programs to reduce the impact of wildfire on Whistler. In 2018, the RMOW updated the strategy to no longer permit any backyard burning of yard waste.
The Wildfire Protection Strategy includes an active fuel treatment program, the FireSmart program focused on private properties, a comprehensive fire behaviour analysis to identify strategic landscape fuel breaks, equipment upgrades and new fire detection technologies.
Efforts to reduce the threat of wildfires in Whistler have been significant but it is estimated it will take approximately 20 more years to implement all of the required measures to fully protect Whistler from wildfires.
The CCF and RMOW are partnering to carry out the wildfire fuel management programs in high priority areas around Whistler that are within the CCF tenure. In 2017-18, the CCF completed a five kilometre fuel break along the Callaghan FSR, and a 22 hectare site above Alpine Meadows neighbourhood and adjacent to the 21 Mile watershed water intake infrastructure. Over winter 2018-19, it thinned 35 hectares along the Cheakamus Lake Road and will continue the work in winter 2019-20.
