Northeast BC Wildland Fire Training

12 May 2025

Project Title: Northeast BC Wildland Fire Training

Recipient: Northeast BC Prescribed Fire Council

Region: Northeast

Project Period: 2025

Awarded Amount: $10,000

Description: This project will aim to train and mentor more than 20 local rights holders, stakeholders, and marginalized peoples in wildland fire with an emphasis on prescribed fire through a two-eyed seeing approach. Prescribed fire is a component of innovative silviculture in BC and Northeast BC Prescribed Fire Council organization is “at the tip of the torch” in putting good fire on the land through a collaborative process with all Treaty 8 and Kaska Nations. This project will address the need and thirst for wildland fire knowledge and implementation in a professional, safe, efficient, and accountable way across many landscapes of BC.

Halfway Reporting:

The following is based on halfway reporting by the grantee.

August 28, 2025

NEBC Rural Incident Management and Leadership Training (Photo by S.Leverkus)

  • Over the past decade, wildland fire has and continues to dominate the lives and livelihoods of remote and rural people in northern BC all year.  
  • Together with the Peace River Forage Association, North Peace Cattlemen, South Peace Cattlemen, numerous ranchers, guide outfitters, and Indigenous Communities, we have developed a northeast BC Wildland Fire Program which incorporates the strategic and safe application of fire to the land, reigniting traditional and cultural practices of putting good fire on the land, and preparing and supporting neighbours to help neighbours.  
  • Funding from SIP supported several several components of our program in the northeast:
    • Rural Incident Management Team training including the delivery of leadership and incident command training and structural protection training where we trained over 70 participants in wildland fire.  Many of whom incorporate silvopasture and agrosilviculture practices as part of their land management.
    • Prescribed fire (wo)mentorship at the Peace River Ranch and Bare Mountain Community Pasture where burn bosses and ignition crews were trained while conducting prescribed fires on private and Crown Land.
    • Collaboration amongst Indigenous Communities, ranchers, producers, BC Range Program, BC Wildfire Service, rural and long time residents of northeast BC, Northern Fire WoRx, Peace River Forage Association, North Peace Cattlemen, South Peace Cattlemen, Shifting Mosaics
  • We plan to complete our extension work through the fall and winter once the snow flies!
  • One of the greatest signs of success for the program that SIP has supported through funding was in early May when our crew had successfully completed the Bare Mountain Prescribed Fire and were travelling home to Fort Nelson.  For the most part, everyone had changed out of their sweat soaked nomex gear and were just eating lunch when we received the call from one of our Rural Incident Commanders that he needed help fighting a fire on a local ranch.  Fortunately, our crew was at the right place at the right time and we spent the rest of the day and night supporting our Rural Incident Management Team using all of the gear and knowledge we have built over the past few years with our lead partners at the Peace River Forage Association.  This proves that our concept works for neighbours helping neighbours and that we are an important resource that can support wildfire emergency management led by provincial and territorial agencies.   

NEBC Leadership Training (photo by S. Leverkus)

NEBC Rural Incident Management and Leadership Training (Photo by S. Leverkus)

NEBC Rural Incident Management and Leadership Training (Photo by B. Gagne)

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