Hundreds of firefighters, First Nations and government representatives, mitigation specialists, and more have gathered for the Wildfire Resiliency and Training Summit in Penticton.
The goal of the five-day event is for firefighters from across the province to get together and train, collaborate, and discuss new ideas and technology ahead of the 2025 wildfire season.
"We don't know exactly what this wildfire season will bring, but I want British Columbians to know that we are working hard every day to be ready," said Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar in a press release. "With year-round operations, cutting-edge technology, and strong partnerships with First Nations and local fire departments, we're putting in the work to protect our communities."
More than 350 wildfire professionals will attend the event. Two of the five days consist of collaborative training between structural fire departments from throughout the province and the British Columbia Wildfire Service (BCWS). This training focuses on fireline operations, the deployment of fire engines, an approach to structure protection to better protect communities from wildfires, and large water supply operations.
After two days of training, the remaining three days involve more than 700 municipal and First Nations leaders discussing the FireSmart program and wildfire resiliency.
"Learning and training are vital to thriving in high-risk environments," said BCWS Supt. of Fire Services Brian Hutchinson. "With over 350 fire service professionals attending the training summit portion of the conference, we continue to collaboratively build capacity, capabilities, and resilience to the impacts of wildfires."
Additionally, members of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CALFIRE) are attending this year's event after BCWS was deployed to help fire the California wildfires in January.
"Working alongside Californian crews, BCWS gained valuable experience managing large fires in the wildland-urban interface. Building on this interagency experience, BCWS and CALFIRE are better coordinated to fight wildfires in B.C.," stated the Government of B.C. press release.
