FireSmart activities (photo courtesy of the B.C. Wildfire Service)

By Liam Verster

FireSmart Funding

Vernon seeking outside funding for fire prevention work

May 13, 2025 | 10:11 AM

The City of Vernon is applying for funding to help protect the community from wildfires.

At the regular meeting Monday, May 12, Vernon City Council voted in favour of applying to the Union of B.C. Municipalities for a $100,000 Community Resiliency Investment grant.

“The [money] is for mitigation, it’s to improve wildfire preparedness on the ground,” Mayor Victor Cumming told Vernon Matters.

“We’ve got areas that are in the highest priority, the funding will be for [FireSmarting] those. Vernon Fire Rescue is going to bring back the specifics of where that is going to be done.”

The mayor added the funds will go towards new projects and not ongoing FireSmart work in the city, which as of Monday involved risk reduction work in Ellison Park.

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An update on that project stated that an additional $300,000 had been gifted from the Forest Enhancement Society of B.C. to fund the second phase of the work, which would see fire fuels collected, chipped and removed, as well as prescribed burns done, in a 26.3 hectare area of the park.

Council voted unanimously in favour of applying for the UBCM funds, and authorized staff to administer the money if the grant is approved.