The B.C. government says work is already underway to prepare communities for the 2027 wildfire season, with another $15 million being invested in wildfire prevention and preparedness.

The funding will support the 2027 intake of the FireSmart Community Funding and Supports program, which provides money to local governments and First Nations for projects aimed at reducing wildfire risks and improving community resilience.

Funding can be used for a range of initiatives, including FireSmart education and training, assessments of homes and critical infrastructure, community wildfire resiliency planning and mitigation projects designed to reduce the potential impact of wildfires.

“British Columbia has just faced another tough wildfire season,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests.

“This wildfire season reinforced what we know to be true: FireSmart works. We’re beginning the work now to help communities prepare for the 2027 wildfire season by engaging in active forest management, by building community resilience and by reducing the threat of wildfire.”

The province says that preparation goes beyond work around homes and communities.

Efforts are also underway to reduce wildfire risks across the broader landscape through measures such as commercial thinning, prescribed burning and other fuel-management projects.

Those projects are designed to reduce the amount of combustible material available to a wildfire, which can help limit its intensity and make fires easier and safer to manage.

The province says community-level FireSmart projects and landscape management are both important parts of its broader strategy to reduce the potential severity of future wildfires and better protect people, homes and critical infrastructure.

The FireSmart Community Funding and Supports program is delivered in partnership with the First Nations’ Emergency Services Society and the Union of B.C. Municipalities.

To learn more, visit Government of British Columbia.