Photo: Nicholas Johasnsen - file photo

Fire at Knox Mountain in 2016

Several Kelowna neighbourhoods are at severe risk of wildfires if action on vegetation, landscaping and access is not taken.

Wildfire expert Bruce Blackwell outlined to city council Monday 47 recommendations he believes the city should consider over time to mitigate the risk of interface fires in the city.

"In older neighbourhoods, there is still a considerable amount of vegetation that puts the community at risk, and landscaping that isn't appropriate in a fire-dominated community," said Blackwell.

"Location of new development is still occurring in high-threat areas, steep slopes surrounded or intermixed with forested land with limited access."

He pointed specifically to areas of the city at risk, many in the Glenmore area, including the Wilden community.

"Steep slope, one-way in, one-way out. If a fire were to occur at the bottom of that slope, we've got big problems."

The McKinley area also provides specific problems around landscaping.

"There are also large tracts of private land between Knox Mountain and city limits," said Blackwell.

"Many of these areas are high hazard. They have been impacted by forest health factors over the last 15 or 20 years. There's fuel accumulations, and they still pose a significant risk to the community."

At the top of the list of recommendations, voluntary compliance by home and property owners through FireSmart property assessments.

These would include fire resistant vegetation and landscaping and the removal of fire hazards around homes.

Blackwell also suggested the city consider prescribed burns of some of the grassy areas in interface areas to reduce grass continuity.

While it's an effective treatment measure and could save money in the long run, Blackwell admits it may mean asking people to leave their homes while the burn takes place.

He admits there would be push back from some in the community with health concerns, but believes a bit of smoke from controlled burns is better than weeks of smoke from large fires.

Blackwell also pointed a finger at the city, saying existing wildfire bylaws need to be enforced while at the same time expanding the development permit process.

"Require a landscaping plan and provide an acceptable list of plantings. We are still getting plantings that are not appropriate," he said.

"I think developers need to focus on putting the right landscape plan together so we get the right type of vegetation."

He adds a minimum 10-metre setback from the forest and interface needs to be required, and subdivision designs should focus on creating two access and egress points.