Nathalie Sturgeon, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Saint Croix Courier

Some Charlotte County municipalities are working toward wildfire resiliency plans as part of the expansion of the FireSmart Program in New Brunswick. 

In April, the Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development launched the program, after an announcement from the federal and provincial governments for about $40 million to increase New Brunswick’s wildfire preparedness. 

The funding was used in part for new equipment like hoses, tanks, drones, trailers, and upskill training for personnel. 

Hollis Bartlett, the executive director of the Southwest New Brunswick Service Commission (SNBSC), said the idea was brought to him through the rural districts – who cannot apply like municipalities can. 

“It turned out to be a better idea for the region to apply as a whole than individual communities,” he said. “So that’s the approach we’re doing.” 

He said these plans provide an education component and it provides recommendations on mitigation strategies. 

“They’re going to look at fuel in the forest as it is and potential threats, they’re going to do some mapping of the region, and find some areas that might be high risk,” he said in an interview with The Courier. 

Bartlett said it is estimated to cost about $152,000 for the plan, which the SNBSC will pay for up front and be reimbursed by the provincial government. 

He said the plan will include a chapter for each municipality, although some municipalities have applied separately. 

Stein Lake fire in 2023

In 2023, Stein Lake, an area in Bocabec near Saint Andrews, was faced with a large wildfire which burned more than 500 hectares, more than New Brunswick’s ten-year average. 

The local fire department called for local evacuations of nearly 200 homes. 

An investigation revealed a failure during the wildfire to issue an Alert Ready. Email exchanges obtained through a Right to Information and Protection of Privacy Act request by The Courier showed the province felt it didn’t have enough information to issue an Alert Ready notification. 

The department also released an after-action report that detailed some of the issues and recommendations arising from the wildfire. 

It describes communication as “challenging.”

“There was confusion regarding the evacuation of the rural area of Bocabec. The first responders on scene made the decision to ask the local community to voluntarily evacuate their homes given the immediacy of the wildfire and the time available for action,” the report said. 

It said the timeliness and accuracy of the information being shared between the Provincial Emergency Operations Centre and the department, agencies and other organizations “varied” at times. 

All but one of the recommendations contained in the report had been completed by the departments and the various agencies involved. 

These are all things Barlett hopes the plan could help resolve. 

“This will give us more ammunition and more informed decision making when it comes to those types of things that we have to do,” he said. 

Local decision making

In St. Stephen, the municipality has also applied. Chief Administrative Officer Jeff Renaud said the municipal district is one of the highest risk areas for wildland and urban fire. 

“So we’re looking at planning mitigation for that risk,” he said. 

He hopes the plan will look at the evacuation routes and various ways to reduce fire risk in the community. 

St. Stephen did apply independently, but will be part of the overall application with the SNBSC. 

Renaud has worked in provinces like Alberta and the Yukon – both of which have dealt with massive forest fires in recent years. 

“I’ve had experience with service pressures for many years and … when planned properly and resourced properly, [it] reduces the risk, not only for the general public but even for private landowners who are willing to work with the program,” he said. 

Rural areas have different challenges, present in most all of the communities in Charlotte County: narrow, unpaved, or private roads, limited cell phone coverage, dense or heavily forested areas. 

The FireSmart program also includes education for individual homeowners – on how to create buffers for your property. 

Big components must also be looked at, Renaud said, water and sewer treatment facilities, and operations centres or evacuation centres. 

“All the things that allow us to keep the daily lives of citizens going,” he said. 

Saint Andrews has joined the SNBSC in their application – but also faces unique challenges when it comes to wildfires. The community exists on a peninsula with only two ways in or out. 

Fire Chief Kevin Theriault is uniquely familiar with wildfires, having led crews through one just two years ago. 

“If one [exit] gets cut down because of a forest fire, it leaves us with one, it is iffy some days if – depending on how big the fire and which way its going – whether you’ll be able to evacuate Saint Andrews properly or not,” he said. 

He said those risks are all part of what this plan will look like. Theriault believes bringing FireSmart here is a great help. 

“It teaches people how to trim trees around their properties, how to space them out, and the more they do that the better chance of the structure surviving the forest fire,” he said. 

“It is a great opportunity for the province to take that next leap forward in mitigating forest fire risk.” 

He said top priority would be communications centres, but also water and sewer treatment facilities – much like other municipalities. Healthcare centres and hospitals are also at top of the list for protection. 

“But if you can’t communicate, you can’t get the word out,” he said. “I think communication is one of the top priorities.” 

Jason Gaudet, the chief administrative officer for Eastern Charlotte, said it will apply with the SNBSC – leaning into the regional approach. 

“It takes in all the communities,” he said. 

He said he hopes the plans look at whether resources are in the right place, including assistance with purchasing or accessing equipment a municipality might not have. 

“We are very focused on trying to get trucks and stuff, but is it a case of something like portable pumping units for lakes and rivers we could use to fight wildfires?” he said. “Just understanding what equipment is needed.” 

Gaudet also said helping to identify response protocols for evacuation centres and how those should be identified. 

“But also looking to promote people’s awareness of wildfires and how to ready their own properties for wildfire prevention,” he said. 

Fundy Shores also applied independently of the service commission, saying his quote was on the higher end, nearing $100,000.

Mayor Denny Cogswell said there is a lot of wooded area in Fundy Shores. 

Charlotte County is also home to three major islands, Deer Island, Campobello Island and Grand Manan Island, two of which are only accessible by ferry – and Campobello by land through the United States. 

The Department of Natural Resources and Energy Development said 21 applications have come in for 32 communities – approximately $2 million in applications. 

Communities are required to pay for their plans individually and be reimbursed by the provincial government. 

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