Predator Ridge Community Safety
Raising Our Community Awareness through Prevention/Mitigation and Preparedness
Throughout wildfire season, if you are evacuated or planning to be away, remember to bring your door mats inside the house along with any other combustable items such as patio furniture, cushions, umbrellas etc.
The image above was taken after the homeowner returned home following the West Kelowna wildfire. This image shows how easily this home could have burned to the ground.
Thank you to MGH Photography for compiling this amazing time-lapse video of the McDougall Creek Fire. In just three short hours this fire spread at incredible speed.
This is why we have installed the Predator Ridge Wildfire Evacuation Siren!
Dear Neighbour,
We wanted to provide you with a community update relating to the current wildfire situation in the Okanagan.
There has been no change in risk levels at Predator Ridge. Vernon Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) continues to be positioned at Fire Station #3 at Predator Ridge, as a command post with Deputy Chief and crew. The team continues to proactively monitor our community through 30-minute patrols and Fire Station #3 will be staffed 24-hours/day until the threat levels drop.
As per the latest emergency release from the Regional District of the Central Okanagan, a stage 4 water restriction has been put in place throughout the region. We are not under a restriction at Predator Ridge, however, we strongly encourage you to reduce your water consumption. This will ensure that if required, we can conserve the water in our reservoir for fire fighting purposes. See below for a link to the CORD emergency news conference for full details.
CITY OF VERNON RESOURCES
It is important to keep yourself updated with the latest information from official sources. If you haven’t already, please register to receive alerts from COV directly through:
CENTRAL OKANAGAN EMERGENCY OPERATIONS
The current wildfires in the Okanagan are all located in the Regional District of the Central Okanagan. For up-to-date information please visit CordEmergency.ca. You can also follow them on Twitter (@CO_Emerg).
For more details on the fire situation, we encourage you to watch the official Emergency News conference released at 11am this morning. This can be viewed at the link below or via their YouTube channel (@regionaldistrict).
GOVERNMENT OF BC
Earlier this afternoon, the Government of BC released their BC Wildfire Update. This can be viewed on the link below or via their YouTube channel (@GovernmentofBC)
We have received a lot of questions regarding what do to in the case of an Evacuation Alert or Order.
As per the Government of BC, if an Evacuation Alert is in place, be ready to leave on short notice and take the following steps:
NOW MORE THAN EVER, we are grateful to have our local evacuation siren installed and a tool readily available for our community. As a reminder, in the event that we are placed on an Evacuation Order, we will be notified:
HAVE YOU MADE YOUR CONTRIBUTION TO THE SIREN?Due to some innovative cost savings, and further in-kind contributions by Predator Ridge, we are now only $6,000 short of our needed funding for the siren.
If you have not had an opportunity to contribute, we still need all members of our community to do their part and CONTRIBUTE to this invaluable community resource.
We are currently being challenged with staffing levels due to evacuations in Kelowna and Lake Country, where a significant amount of our team resides. We have had to make the decision to limit our onsite amenities as follows:
Our focus is to ensure the safety of our community we will provide you with further updates when we receive them. We encourage you to stay connected with official sources, as provided above.
Sincerely,
The Predator Ridge Management Team
AND
Your Predator Ridge Community Safety (PRCS) Committee
Gordon Wilson
Jane Toppozini
Karen Grimsrud
Robert Scott
Gord Ball
Emergencies can happen anytime and Vernon Fire Rescue Services (VFRS) is taking steps to ready itself for the height of wildfire season and reminding citizens and visitors about the important things we can all do to keep each other safe.
Already this year, fire departments across the North Okanagan have responded to multiple grass and wildland fires and the fire danger rating has fluctuated between low and high at various times.
“The risk of wildfire can change quickly, particularly when we are experiencing heat like we’ve seen this week,” said Fire Chief David Lind. “We need to practice fire safety all the time, and when high heat and sunshine are drying out the region, we need to pay even closer attention to our activities.
“If people are spending time in the mountains, around lakes, in camping areas, or on trails, it’s paramount that everyone does their part to prevent human-caused wildfires to protect themselves, our communities, and our emergency responders.”
Throughout the summer season, VFRS will adjust its operations, as necessary, to have firefighters stationed at Fire Station 3 during higher risk periods.
“Residents in the Predator Ridge area may notice career and auxiliary firefighters working and training out of Station 3 at various times when the fire danger rating is listed as extreme, particularly during the hottest part of the day when fire behaviour can be more aggressive,” said Chief Lind.
The City of Vernon would like to thank the public for helping to prevent wildfires. To report an emergency or wildfire in the City of Vernon call 911. To report a wildfire, call the BC Wildfire Service at 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone.
For the latest information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions and more, visit www.bcwildfire.ca.
Dear Homeowners,
This wildfire season has been an exhausting one on many fronts. We are fortunate however, that we are seeing some reprieve from the weather and a glimmer of light at the end of the tunnel with regards to the smoke and wildfires this year. Please keep in mind though, fire season runs from April 1st to October 31st.
In an ongoing attempt to keep all our residents safe, we have been reviewing additional avenues to enhance our community’s safety. Our committee has done some extensive research regarding the use of emergency alert systems and their effectiveness in remote and semi remote communities.
We have been working with both Predator Ridge and Sparkling Hill, and we have all agreed that although the current technology of using cell phone and email alerts is effective, it may not be the total solution for our community should the City of Vernon ever need to get an emergency alert out to all the guests, visitors and Predator Ridge residents, especially in the middle of the night.
We have looked at other communities that have successfully utilized cell phone and email technology in tandem with an emergency alert system to notify their community of imminent danger. Using all these systems together provides far better coverage and peace of mind to residents.
Accordingly, we are proposing the acquisition and installation of a High Power Directional Siren to be centrally located within the Predator Ridge Resort. Accordingly, we have completed a cost analysis for the acquisition and installation of an Emergency Alert Siren and related equipment. The cost of the acquisition and installation would be in the neighbourhood of $100,000.00.
With approximately 800 households in the community, if each household contributed a minimum amount of $100.00, we could reach our target goal of $75,000. Once we raise this initial amount, Predator Ridge (Wesbild) and Sparkling Hill Resort will contribute the remaining amount up to $25,000.00. This cost sharing ratio was calculated based on the table below.
Figure 1
A meeting has been scheduled with City of Vernon officials and the City of Vernon Fire Chief, to discuss and firm up roles and responsibilities in the management of a Predator Ridge Community Emergency Alert Siren.
In order to proceed with this project, we would like to survey the community and ask for your support to raise the funds for the purchase and installation of an Emergency Alert Siren. Please take the time to review the material located within the attached links:
1. Link to Emergency Alert System Information Package
2. Link to High Power Directional Siren Specs
If you are willing to support this important community project, Please click the SURVEY link text in the Community Message that was sent out to all residents on September 23rd, through the Community Messaging email. Please complete ONLY ONE survey per household. The survey will run for 14 days (Sept 23 – Oct 6th)
We would like to have the Emergency Alert Siren installed in the spring of 2022, so it is up and functional for the start of the next fire season. If you have any questions please contact us.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and support on this very important initiative.
Predator Ridge Community Emergency Management Committee,
Jim Popowich,
Jane Toppozini
Gord Wilson
Colleen Scott
Luiz Araujo
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development BC Wildfire Service
Help keep B.C. Day long weekend safe for everyone
VICTORIA – The BC Wildfire Service urges British Columbians to be safe in the woods and reminds everyone that the return of warm weather means an increasing risk of wildfires.
Although the start of this year’s wildfire season was quieter than normal, August is typically the most active month of B.C.’s wildfire season. This is why it is important for British Columbians and visitors to remain vigilant and ensure that they are using fire safely.
Human-caused fires are completely preventable and unnecessarily divert crucial firefighting resources from naturally occurring wildfires. From April 1 through July 29, 2020, the BC Wildfire Service responded to 239 wildfires throughout the province, approximately 85% of which were attributed to human activity.
“We know people want to get out into the great outdoors, but it’s important that everyone stay vigilant about fire safety,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “Fighting wildfires can be challenging at the best of times, but managing them in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic requires BC Wildfire Service staff to operate with even greater care. I urge everyone to support our crews by using fire responsibly and making sure that their activities don’t spark a wildfire this holiday weekend.”
Campfires are currently allowed in all areas of the province that fall under the BC Wildfire Service’s jurisdiction. However, people are urged to use caution and keep an ample supply of water nearby to fully extinguish their campfires.
Larger Category 2 and Category 3 open fires are prohibited in some regions of the province. Up-to-date information about current open burning prohibitions is available on the BC Wildfire Service website at: www.gov.bc.ca/wildfirebans
Local governments and other jurisdictions (e.g., BC Parks) may have their own burning restrictions or bylaws in place. People should also check with those authorities before lighting any fire.
Campfire safety and fire precautions:
The government’s conservation officers conduct regular patrols throughout British Columbia, while natural resource officers from the Compliance and Enforcement Branch work closely with BC Wildfire Service staff to investigate the cause of wildfires and any improper fire use when an open burning prohibition is in effect.
Anyone found in contravention of an open-burning prohibition may be issued a violation ticket for $1,150, required to pay an administrative penalty of up to $10,000 or, if convicted in court, fined up to $100,000 and/or sentenced to one year in jail. If the contravention causes or contributes to a wildfire, the person responsible may be ordered to pay all firefighting and associated costs.
To report a wildfire, unattended campfire or open burning violation, call 1 800 663-5555 toll-free or *5555 on a cellphone. For up-to-date information on current wildfire activity, burning restrictions, road closures and air quality advisories, call 1 888 3-FOREST or visit: www.bcwildfire.ca
People can also follow the latest wildfire news:
Current open burning prohibitions: www.gov.bc.ca/wildfirebans
Wildfire prevention: www.gov.bc.ca/wildfireprevention
British Columbia FireSmart: https://firesmartbc.ca/
Provincial Fire Information
BC Wildfire Service
Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development
250 312-3051
Connect with the Province of B.C. at: http://news.gov.bc.ca/connect
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PreparedBC has released a new Wildfire Preparedness Guide to ensure British Columbians are ready for what will likely be another busy wildfire season.
Created in partnership with FireSmart BC and the Office of the Fire Commissioner, the new guide provides information on what to do before, during and after a wildfire, including advice on mitigating risk, managing stress and coping with smoke.
It’s currently available for download from the PreparedBC website.
Recent reports from residents of Predator Ridge noted we are having a problem on our Okanagan lookout loop with people starting fires, drinking on the trail and leaving behind quite a mess.
We encourage all residents to help keep an eye on this to catch the individuals responsible. This is an extremely dangerous situation. If someone sees or knows anything we ask they report the concern to the Predator Ridge front desk team 250-542-3436
Breanne Tripp reports “We now have a sign on order that advises Fires are not permitted at Predator Ridge and will post it in the parking lot by Havencrest and also at the look out point.”
She has also updated the Vernon Fire Chief and Security as well, so they are aware of the location in the event of an emergency.
Weather has a significant impact on wildfires – in how they start, how aggressively they spread, and how long they burn. Find out the current fire danger rating in your area and other information about fire weather.
Find out more about Fire Danger on the Provinces Fire Danger Site.
