B.C. wildfires: Upgrades to communications systems necessary to save lives, report says
Upgrades to communications systems in British Columbia's wildfire zones are needed to save lives and properties, says a report released Wednesday.
The Thompson Rivers University report, which examined B.C.'s communications practices during the devastating wildfire seasons of 2017 and 2018, calls for improvements to better inform people about risks before, during and following wildfires.
The report didn't look at the most recent wildfire season in the province, but its recommendations remain current and apply to the fire-ravaged communities of Lytton and Monte Lake that faced communication challenges last summer, said Prof. Michael Mehta, who led the study.
“When it comes to wildfire risk management and other disasters, we need to improve dramatically, right now, how we deal with things before they happen, while they're occurring and follow up, especially if there's damage like Lytton, B.C.,” Mehta said in an interview.
Much of Lytton, located about 250 kilometres north of Vancouver, was destroyed by wildfire on June 30, following consecutive days of record-setting temperatures above 45 C.
Two people died in the fire.
In August, homes and buildings in the community of Monte Lake, located between Vernon and Kamloops, were destroyed by a wildfire.
“By streamlining and improving communications and doing this life-cycle approach that we recommend, we think we'll see the greater levels of trust and more responsive action to messaging from government and organizations,” Mehta said. “This should reduce loss of property. It should reduce loss of lives in the end. It's essential.”
The 89-page report, titled “A life cycle based model to risk and crisis communication during wildfire events in British Columbia,” makes six recommendations, including ensuring remote and Indigenous communities have robust communications systems in place where emergency officials can relay fast and accurate information about wildfires.
Mehta said improving internet services to remote communities or at least supplying local officials with a satellite phone to communicate prompt wildfire information offers better protection.
Being able to access reliable and current information about the status of wildfires in local areas is necessary for safety and security, he said.
“The biggest issue governments and first responders and emergency management organizations faced in 2017 and 2018 was how to put out credible, timely information that gave people the right tools to make decisions, especially when there was misinformation on social media and a lot of contrary information, Mehta said.
Wildfires burned more than 12,000 square kilometres in 2017 and 13,500 square kilometres in 2018.
He said people need to be able to receive information from official sources or face the prospect of unofficial, unreliable information surfacing.
“What happens is you end up with sometimes misinformation, disinformation, confusing information, or no information and people are having to fly by the seat of their pants to make decisions about which way to go in an evacuation,” said Mehta. “All these things are up in the air when you don't have that kind of co-ordination in place.”
He said any revamp of communications services must also include offering help to people and communities following wildfire events because mental health services are needed in what will be lengthy periods of heightened anxiety about fire dangers.
BC Wildfire Service executive director Ian Meier said in a statement that the service has the report and is committed to continuous improvement.
A 2018 report by former B.C. cabinet minister George Abbott and hereditary chief Maureen Chapman called for an overhaul of the province's disaster response, including improving communications gaps and relations with First Nations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 22, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.