Harrison Hot Springs officials are continuing efforts to prevent wildfires in the village when the dry season comes back around.
In the wake of clearing debris and potential fire fuel from part of the East Sector Lands, the village is about to undertake fuel management along the Spirit Trail loop in the same area.
East Sector lands has about 5.5 kilometres of easy-walking trails, and the Spirit Trail loop is part of that network, a 0.6-kilometre loop featuring clay and wooden masks as well as interpretive signs.
According to a recent report from community services manager Christy Ovens, village staff expect fuel management work to begin before the end of the year, earmarked for about $47,000 of the village's $100,000 dedicated toward fuel management.
In mid-January, council approved asking staff to proceed with fuel management on the popular trail, asking staff to seek grant funding sources to fund part of the work that needed to be done. About six months later, B.A. Blackwell and Associates, a North Vancouver forestry consultant firm, presented the village with a prescription to manage fuel. GBF Forestry, based in Chilliwack, won the bid for the Spirit Trail fuel management project.
Due to the land being owned by the Fraser Valley Regional District, both the village and the contractor are currently working with the FVRD to negotiate the necessary permissions to begin the work.
The work along Spirit Trail is one of many moving parts when it comes to fuel management within the village. Earlier this month, GBF Forestry cleared branches and wildfire fuel from the village's water tower site. Back in April, village crews worked to cut back brush and debris near the village's fire hall. In August, the village announced the installation of a wildfire detection system from Sensenet, which deployed 100 sensors throughout the East Sector Lands and the west side of the village.
This past year saw few wildfires in the area, none exceeding about 10 hectares in size in Agassiz-Harrison and the surrounding communities. However, there is always potential for large wildfires, such as the 700-hectare wildfire near Chehalis Lake in 2023.
