Wildfire review up against the clock before next fire season
KAMLOOPS — The NDP government has finally called an inquiry into this past summer’s wildfires, adding the devastating flood situation into the mix.
The only surprise, if you could call it that, is that it took so long to get a review underway. There’s an obvious need to look back at what happened this year, to figure out what was done right and what could be done better, and to get ready for the next big one.
Former B.C. cabinet minister George Abbot and Indigenous leader Maureen Chapman, who will head up the review, would be well served to take a look at the 2003 commission led by former Manitoba premier Gary Filmon.
He toured B.C. gathering input from all manner of people affected by the horrendous wildfires of that year, and authored a cogent report on what needed to be done.