Wildfire suppression rehabilitation

B.C. uses many wildfire management strategies to suppress active wildfires, such as reducing heat, fuel, and oxygen. From this work, there can be an impact to the land through the use of heavy equipment and hand crews. Wildfire suppression rehabilitation starts as soon as damage, (often called disturbances) from fire suppression activities happen.

On this page:

• The effects of fire suppression activities
• Rehab objectives
• Rehab activities
• Timeline for rehabilitation

The effects of fire suppression activities

Fireguards are the most common fire suppression activity that requires rehabilitation. A fireguard is a strategically planned barrier that is intended to stop or slow the spread of a wildfire. Heavy equipment, and sometimes hand crews, remove vegetation and organic matter until only non-combustible soil remains. This process, whether completed mechanically or manually, creates a linear barrier known as a fireguard. Fireguards are a very effective fire suppression tool, however, they can create negative impacts on the land base such as: 

• The disruption or rerouting of natural drainage patterns by pushing soil, vegetation, and debris into streams, draws or other drainage features
• The destabilization of soil caused by the removal of vegetation and exposure of mineral soil that is susceptible to erosion
• The creation of fire hazards due to large quantities of timber and vegetation being pushed aside into berms, decks, or piles
• Damaging infrastructure such as fences or roads and trails that have been modified to provide access and egress to the wildfire
• Increasing the risk of invasive species establishing on site due to exposed soils
• Increasing the risk of erosion or sedimentation of water bodies due to the loss in vegetation and the exposure of soils

Rehab objectives

Wildfire suppression rehabilitation, or “rehab”, is a form of deactivation, specific to fire suppression activities. In order to minimize impacts from fire suppression activities, rehabilitation practitioners are responsible for developing and implementing wildfire suppression rehabilitation plans that address the following six objectives:

• Restoring natural drainage patterns
• Stabilizing soils
• Minimizing surface erosion
• Minimizing fire hazards
• Promoting revegetation while preventing invasive species from inhabiting affected areas
• Repairing damaged infrastructure

Overall, by prescribing and implementing treatments focused on the above 6 objectives, we can ensure the continued protection and support of B.C.’s resource values and the safety of the public.

Rehab activities

We track rehabilitation activities by the kilometers of fireguards, modified roads, trails, and handguards constructed during wildfire season. The amount of fire suppression activities can range from 100 to 5,000 km of disturbances annually. In large wildfire seasons, we prioritize rehabilitation work using a hazard vs consequence approach to determine which sites require immediate treatments and which sites are stable enough to postpone treatment until the following spring/summer. Any consequence that impacts public safety warrants an immediate response. The volume of work, weather, site conditions, and availability of personnel and equipment impacts the amount of work that is completed prior to the onset of winter.

There are many ways that the B.C. government and our partners rehabilitate damages caused by fire suppression activities, including:

• Removing introduced materials from stream crossings, restore stream profiles as required, stabilize stream banks, and promote the revegetation of the riparian area
• Pulling back or recontouring sites with displaced or exposed soils that are no longer stable
• Constructing water management structures or treating soils in a manner that reduces potential for erosion
• Salvaging or disposing of timber and vegetation that has been felled, knocked down, or pushed aside and may pose a fire hazard
• Preparing the soils and seeding where required to promote natural vegetation to establish on exposed soils while reducing the risk of invasive species establishment
• Repairing infrastructure damaged by heavy equipment such as fences

We collaborate with First Nation communities, especially when it comes to planning and implementing rehabilitation works on crown land. The B.C. Wildfire Risk – Claims program is the primary point of contact for fire suppression damages that have occurred on private land. When needed, rehabilitation practitioners will work closely and coordinate operations with the B.C. Wildfire Risk – Claims team for rehabilitation activities. Various community groups may also be involved in reviewing plans or providing input if the proposed treatments impacts their members.

Timeline for rehabilitation

Rehabilitation projects require a year-round effort but tasks often change with the seasons. The spring season is often used for training, contract development for the upcoming field season, and for any works not completed from the previous wildfire season. The summer, and fall seasons are when rehabilitation practitioners are most active in the field. Field activities range from field assessments of damages to implementing the prescribed treatments. The winter season is reserved for project management activities such as financial accounting, contract closures, and reports.