Wildfires are a major concern to the safety of our residents and the protection of their properties. The April 2004 wildfire which occurred on the west side of Ateah Road could have resulted in serious personal injuries and major property losses. Overall, we were very fortunate that the fire damage was limited to a relatively small area.

In 2005, the Municipality and the Manitoba Model Forest collaborated on a joint project called "Fire Smart". The goal of the project was to compile an inventory of all properties in the Municipality to determine the potential risk of wildfire and to assess what could be done individually to mitigate wildfire damage. The Fire Smart project has provided the Municipality with a great deal of important information in an electronic format.

In order to continue the groundwork that has already been completed, it is Council's intention to implement a Community Wildfire Protection Plan in 2010. This Plan will be developed with the assistance of Manitoba Conservation and The Office of the Fire Commissioner. It will include the development of strategies to more effectively respond to wildfires. Provincial resources, equipment and municipal firefighter training will be incorporated into the Plan. We believe that the implementation of a Community Wildfire Protection Plan will be a significant step in mitigating the negative impact of a wildfire.

We will further communicate our progress with respect to this Plan on this website and by other means as more information becomes available. In the meantime, please refer to the brochure "Be Fire Smart" which is available on this website by selecting the RMVB Documents Download tab and clicking on Reports & Misc. Documents - Fire Smart.