As wildfire risk grows across the region, another neighbourhood is stepping forward to show how small actions can help strengthen community resilience.
Located on the western edge of the “Village in the Forest,” residents on Cumberland’s Camp Road are working together through the FireSmartTM Canada Neighbourhood Recognition Program to reduce wildfire risk in their community. Supported by the Cumberland Fire Department and Comox Valley FireSmart Collaborative, they’ve been applying FireSmart principles around their homes and throughout the neighbourhood.
“The program has been a great way for us to come together and become more resilient as a community while reducing our exposure to wildfire,” said Brad Fraser, Cumberland resident and neighbourhood champion of the Camp Road FireSmart Collective.
For the second year in a row, neighbours organized a debris-removal day this spring, inviting residents to voluntarily limb trees and remove woody debris from the immediate area around their homes. A woodchipper ran throughout the day to break down vegetation removed from properties, and a second collection day helped dispose of other flammable materials.
“Embers don’t discriminate,” said Stéphane Dionne, Cumberland’s Deputy Fire Chief. “Applying FireSmart principles is one of the best things you can do for the people around you. It’s not just about protecting your home—it’s about protecting your neighbours and friends.”
Residents can apply to the FireSmart Canada Neighbourhood Recognition Program, which recognizes neighbourhoods that have taken critical steps to reduce their vulnerability to wildland fire. Local FireSmart representatives provide support through Home Ignition Zone assessments, chipping programs in risk prone areas, and other community led mitigation activities.
“As the old saying goes, many hands make light work,” said Fraser. “The program doesn’t have to be overly intensive or formal. The biggest challenge is getting started.”
Fortunately, FireSmart resources are designed to make getting started practical, approachable, and something neighbours can do together.
“If you’ve ever wanted to host a block party, you can mix in neighbourhood preparedness and FireSmart prevention principles,” said Cari McIntyre, Manager of Comox Valley Emergency Management. “Neighbours can work together on gutter clearing and woody debris removal, paired with a street barbecue and chipping day.”
The Comox Valley FireSmart Collaborative is a partnership of K'ómoks First Nation, Town of Comox, City of Courtenay, Village of Cumberland, Comox Valley fire departments, and the Comox Valley Regional District, supported through a joint grant from the UBCM FireSmart Community Funding and Supports Program. The program provides funding to local governments and First Nations in British Columbia to increase community resiliency by undertaking community based FireSmart planning and activities that reduce wildfire risk.
To learn more about the FireSmart program and access resources to get started, visit www.comoxvalleyrd.ca/firesmart.
FireSmart, Intelli-feu, and other associated Marks are trademarks of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
The Comox Valley Regional District is a partnership of three electoral areas and three municipalities operating on the unceded traditional territory of the K’ómoks First Nation, the traditional keepers of the land. The members of the regional district work collaboratively on providing sustainable services for the benefit of the diverse urban and rural areas of the Comox Valley.
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Media Contact: Cari McIntyre
Manager of Comox Valley Emergency Management
Phone: 250-334-6096