Image Credit: CFJC Today

By Adam Donnelly

ELEPHANT HILL REPORT

Report calls for increased collaboration and communication between province and Secwepemc communities

Dec 8, 2021 | 4:32 PM

KAMLOOPS — On July 6th, 2017 about 2.5 kilometres southwest of Ashcroft, the human-caused Elephant Hill Wildfire started, which would burn for several months, destroy hundreds of structures, and consume more than 1,900 square kilometres of forest and grasslands.

On Monday, the Secwepemcul’ecw Restoration and Stewardship Society released their report on recovery from that fire – along with 30 ‘calls to action’ they’d like to see put in place to help make sure Secwepemc communities are involved in preparing for, fighting, and recovering from these wildfires.

It was one of the most destructive wildfires the Kamloops Fire Centre has ever seen. The Elephant Hill Wildfire affected thousands of residents in the Thompson Nicola and Cariboo Regional Districts, including members of eight First Nations communities.

“Those eight communities share that traditional territory within the Elephant Hill fire [area],” Angela Kane, CEO of Secwepemcul’ecw Recovery and Stewardship Society explains. “We’ve been having those communities sit at the table technically and working together out on the land, as well as discussing critical pieces about what species are being planted back and what harvesting principles do we want to see.”

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The 240-page report focuses on four broad topics: the fire itself, the process of joint recovery, lessons learned, and the next steps beyond the Elephant Hill fire.

“I think what’s unique about this report is it looks at what comes afterwards. When the smoke settles, and the media attention subsides,” report co-author Sarah Dickson-Hoyle suggests. “Communities and governments have to look at these devastated landscapes and think about ‘how do we restore these watersheds? How do we bring back wildlife?’ This report really traces that process of what comes after a fire and the kinds of decisions that are made, and the role that First Nations can and should play in that process.”

“It’s being part of the land all your life,” Kukpi7 Justin Kane of Ts’kw’aylaxw First Nation explains. “So, understanding what’s affected, who depends on that system, that’s the most important part when you’re trying to do recovery and restoration

The society was formed, in part, to ensure affected First Nations had meaningful input into the recovery process from the Elephant Hill Wildfire. The first six of the 30 calls to action in the report are focused on emergency preparedness and improved communication and collaboration between First Nations and the BC Wildfire Service moving forward. At the launch on Monday, the BC Wildfire Service committed to working towards those goals.

“I know this was something that was in place years ago and for whatever reason, that communication and collaboration stopped,” Kukpi7 Kane says. “Now it’s time to start re-evaluating some of that. Working together.”

“We cannot do it individually, anymore,” Rob Schweitzer, Director of Wildfire Operations for the BC Wildfire Service explains. “We need to look at a collective approach given the sort of fire behaviours and conditions we’re seeing.”

Other recommendations revolve around archeological sites, forest management, and planning. However, one of the key takeaways of the report from the SRSS is increased funding for First Nations throughout Secwepemculecw, meant to help build capacity in communities.

“To have firefighting crews. To have emergency management people in place to coordinate and work with the government when disasters happen, and to be able to prepare and manage, prior to,” Angela Kane says.

Click here full report or the summary and recommendations.