Grass and trees burned by the Noble Canyon wildfire (Image Credit: B.C Wildfire Service)

By Liam Verster

Action items

Series of actions recommended after reviewing Noble Canyon wildfire response

Mar 6, 2026 | 11:45 AM

The District of Coldstream is facing a number of recommendations in relation to the response of the Nobler Canyon wildfire.

The fire sparked in the hills in September of 2025 and quickly spread due to strong winds and dry conditions, resulting in 15 residences on Noble Canyon Road being evacuated, and those people being supported by Coldstream’s Emergency Operations Centre (EOC).

An After-Action Review (AAR) was done following the blaze that burned 67 hectares to assess strengths, challenges and key lessons identified during the event.

The document stated that main challenges focused around communication and the EOC roles and responsibilities. It noted “there was a significant disconnect in communication between the EOC and personnel in the field which resulted in a lack of direction and loss of timely information,” adding communication with external agencies was “generally succesfull,” but the B.C. Wildfire Service’s “reluctance or incapability to share their Incident Action Plan caused frustration.” It also noted that some people posted inaccurate information on social media during the incident that “did not accurately reflect the current situation.”

The review of the incident led to recommendations being developed for Coldstream to adopt in an effort to improve response to future similar events.

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Action items

Series of actions recommended after reviewing Noble Canyon wildfire response

7h ago

• Develop a generic ‘how to’ document for activating the EOC – “First 15 Minutes” and “2-hour Priority” for each section
• Distribute contact information and role descriptions to all staff at the onset of an emergency
• Conduct Initial Capacity Analysis and ongoing training
• Conduct Regular EOC Exercising
• Strengthen Field–EOC Communication with BCWS Incident Management Team (IMT)
• Establish an Evacuation Branch Director as a standard practice in the EOC
• Develop a protocol for timely wildfire map updates, coordinating with external agencies (e.g., BCWS, RDNO) to ensure accuracy and speed
• Create pre-organized Lists of suppliers and agencies
• Implement a structured planning cycle in the EOC
• Make internal EOC team briefings a standard
• Test and maintain notification systems like Alertable, ensuring all accounts are active and staff are trained in their use
• Establish single point of contact phone number for EOC staff
• Review and update public communication templates to ensure they are editable, current, and ready for rapid deployment
• Develop Regional Cross-Training and Resource Sharing Lists
• Pre-plan for installation of communications infrastructure in multiple EOC facilities

The AAR did note there were a number of successes in response to the Noble Canyon wildfire, including internal information sharing; external and joint communications; and working with neighbouring communities and external agencies.

The report was accepted by Coldstream’s Committee of the Whole for information, and will be brought forward at the regular council meeting Monday, March 9, for further discussion and the possibility of forwarding it to the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness for additional input and to access external resources to meet the recommendations.

The response to the wildfire also led Coldstream to seek outside funds to relocate the EOC from its current home in the Coldstream Council Chambers to the new Public Works building.

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