Cranbrook’s social service groups played a large role in keeping unhoused residents safe amid a prescribed burn near Moir Park.
Cranbrook Fire and Emergency Services had support from local organizations and the city’s social development coordinator in addressing the needs of vulnerable people who were living in the area.
“It is very reassuring to see and experience the exceptional abilities of our social service and support agencies when they partner with a common goal in our community. In this case, they were engaged in ensuring that any of the impacted occupants of Moir Park had all the information and support required to keep safe during and immediately after the prescribed fire,” said Cranbrook Fire and Emergency Services Chief Scott Driver.
“I cannot speak highly enough about the support that was provided, and the manner in which they were able to coordinate and support one another as the operational plan of burning the site rolled out.”
City officials says the Moir Park burn posed some unique challenges to fire crews as some of Cranbrook’s unhoused population lived within the boundary of the planned burn.
The team worked to ensure those people were out of harm’s way, but the city said it could not have been done without help from local support services.
“I believe we are fortunate as a community to have such caring individuals working across our little City, and I wish to sincerely and publicly thank them for their role in ensuring the Moir Park prescribed fire was delivered in an exceptionally safe and compassionate manner for all the citizens of Cranbrook,” said Driver.
The full area could not be completed because of environmental issues hampering the effort, but the burn still helped with wildfire risk reduction in the area.
“Where we were able to treat, on the east side of Moir Park, we achieved really good landscape fuel reduction, which will provide good wildfire protection for a number of years to nearby businesses and properties in the industrial park,” said Driver.
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