OLIVER – On Saturday, May 7, people throughout Canada are being asked to mark national Wildfire Community Preparedness Day by learning how they can help protect their families, friends and communities from wildfire threats.

Everyone in Boundary-Similkameen is encouraged to do their part by getting involved in this important endeavour, which was organized by FireSmart Canada.

Wildfire is a fact of life in many parts of this province, and last summer in was a stark reminder of that in Boundary-Similkameen.

In recent years, the wildfire season has been starting earlier and lasting longer than normal.

“Some of the incidents we’ve seen this year have displayed very aggressive fire behaviour — especially in the Peace region over the past few weeks,” Boundary-Similkameen MLA Linda Larson said. “And of course, our thoughts are with all the people affected by the devastating fire in Fort McMurray, Alberta.”

On average, 30 to 40 per cent of wildfires in B.C. are caused by people. In 2015 alone, more than 600 such fires needlessly drew firefighting resources away from naturally occurring wildfires.

“It’s disconcerting to see that the vast majority of the more than200 wildfires so far this season have also been human-caused,” Larson said.

Wildfire Community Preparedness Day is a timely reminder that we should do whatever we can help mitigate wildfire risks in and around our communities.

After all, the best way to stop a wildfire is to prevent it in the first place.

The recently updated FireSmart Homeowner’s Manual is available to help homeowners reduce wildfire threats on private land.

The manual contains lots of tips to make homes and properties more fire-resistant. It also includes a detailed checklist of potential fire hazards and recommended solutions.

“I urge everyone to download a copy of the manual from the BC Wildfire Service website and put those recommendations into practice,” Larson said.