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The Board received a complaint from three Gun Lake residents about BC Wildfire Service’s (BCWS) use of planned ignitions on the Downton Lake wildfire in August 2023. The complainants believe the planned ignitions led to the destruction of more than 40 houses on the west side of Gun Lake.
In this investigation, the Board considered whether BCWS complied with the fire control and fire use requirements set out in the Wildfire Act and evaluated the reasonableness of BCWS's decision to conduct a planned ignition in the vicinity of the complainants' properties on August 1, 2023.
The Board found that BCWS complied with sections 9(1) and 18 of the Wildfire Act when it conducted a planned ignition in the vicinity of the complainants’ properties on August 1, 2023. Additionally, BCWS’s decision to conduct the planned ignition was reasonable.
BCWS conducted the planned ignition because it believed that without this action, the wildfire would have spread to nearly the entire southwestern shoreline of Lajoie and Gun lakes and would have approached the community of Gold Bridge. Despite coordinated planning and implementation, the success of suppression efforts can never be guaranteed.
The decision was consistent with sound forest practices, intended to achieve the intent of the Wildfire Act, and based on an adequate assessment of available information.
Gun Lake lies within the territories of the ʔEsdilagh First Nation Government (Alexandria), the N'Quatqua First Nation, the T'it'q'et First Nation, the Tl'esqox First Nation (Toosey First Nation), the Tl'etinqox Government (Anaham), the Tsal'alh First Nation, the Tŝideldel First Nation (Alexis Creek), the Whispering Pines/Clinton Indian Band, the Xeni Gwet'in First Nations Government, and the Xwisten (Bridge River Indian Band). The Board recognizes the ongoing importance of their historical relationship with the land.
