Opinion: This B.C. community sets a new standard for wildfire detection and defence | Daily Hive

Opinion: This B.C. community is setting a new standard for wildfire detection and defence

SenseNet wildfire detection system at Predator Ridge. (Predator Ridge)

Written for Daily Hive Urbanized by Jonathan Reid, who is a senior vice president of Wesbild Okanagan.

There is no sugar-coating the reality facing the Okanagan and many other communities.

Wildfire season is getting worse.

The devastating fires this past summer in Summerland, Vernon, and beyond have been a wake-up call for many of us, changing the way we think about what it means to prepare for wildfires and protect our communities.

At Predator Ridge, we’ve spent many years investing in the infrastructure, technology, people and planning designed to reduce risk and respond quickly when conditions change. Our approach is comprehensive, and it starts long before there is smoke on the horizon.

Perhaps the most important lesson we have learned is that wildfire preparedness is never finished. We received our first FireSmart designation in 2016. Every year since then, we have added a new layer to our system to improve how we can respond and protect. Every year, our system evolves.

You might also like:

TJ McNamara, Predator Ridge’s director of land management and development, has been part of that evolution for decades. He has seen firsthand how the nature of wildfire has changed since the devastating Okanagan Mountain Park fire in 2003, which destroyed 213 homes in the Kelowna area.

“After 2003, we realized things had changed,” said McNamara. “The fires were getting bigger and more aggressive, and we had to change our practices. How we prepare and educate ourselves as homeowners, the better we are as a community. It’s a collective effort, one that requires ongoing education.”

That philosophy has shaped how Predator Ridge manages its landscape. Our resident-led Community Safety Committee works year-round on wildfire preparedness, including education, property risk assessments and community clean-up initiatives to reduce fuel loads.

We also have something many communities do not: a designated fire station on the property, operated by Vernon Fire Rescue Services. In high-risk season, it is staffed 24/7. The rest of the year, our volunteer firefighters are available to act as first responders to an emerging fire while professional resources are mobilized.

That first response matters. When fuel mitigation, early detection, and an adequate response come together, fires can often be stopped while they are still manageable.

Firehall at Predator Ridge. (Predator Ridge)

Fire defender vehicle at Predator Ridge. (Predator Ridge)

Technology is another critical layer. Predator Ridge was the first residential and resort community in Canada to invest in SenseNet’s wildfire detection technology. Today, more than 100 sensors, gateways, and cameras provide comprehensive coverage around our community.

The system uses gas sensing, thermal imaging, artificial intelligence-enabled cameras, and other data to identify potential fires early and is monitored 24/7 in coordination with Vernon Fire Rescue Services and emergency management.

The collaboration between Predator Ridge, Vernon Fire Rescue Services, and SenseNet is a groundbreaking approach to wildfire safety, one that sets a new benchmark for how communities and fire departments can work to enhance wildfire safety and management.

For McNamara, the value is simple: it allows the team to respond to what is actually happening rather than guessing. “If a sensor goes off, we can put eyes on it quickly and send the right resources,” he says. “We don’t have to guess what to bring. That has been a huge tool for us.”

SenseNet wildfire detection system at Predator Ridge. (Predator Ridge)

Predator Ridge also benefits from an extensive water and irrigation network in place across the golf courses. During periods of elevated risk, this irrigation system can be used strategically to increase local humidity and reduce the potential for fire to spread.

This summer, we added another layer: a dedicated two-inch irrigation line running the entire boundary between Ellison Park and Predator Ridge, with sprinkler heads approximately every 80 feet. The remotely controlled system can be activated without anyone on site and, because it sits at the bottom of a gravity-fed line, can operate without power.

We also benefit from our connection to the City of Vernon’s municipal water, sewer, and other services, with numerous fire hydrants throughout the community. That infrastructure is an important distinction from more remote Okanagan developments, where municipal resources may be farther away.

During the 2023 Okanagan wildfires, these layers of preparedness were put to the test. Vernon Fire Rescue crews worked from Predator Ridge’s on-site fire station for more than 700 hours, while auxiliary firefighters, security personnel and Predator Ridge staff conducted patrols, assessed routes, and successfully implemented preventative measures.

predator ridge wildfire sprinkler system

Wildfire sprinkler system at Predator Ridge. (Predator Ridge)

Irrigation system at Predator Ridge. (Predator Ridge)

But wildfire preparedness is not simply about what happens during an emergency. It is also about what happens between emergencies.

Two years ago, a lightning storm produced five spot fires in the area. Because of the proximity of the threat, Predator Ridge worked with neighbouring property owners and emergency responders to share information and resources. That collaboration has since evolved into a stronger stakeholder network, helping ensure that information moves quickly and that resources can be coordinated when conditions deteriorate. The experience has reinforced another important lesson: no community can do this alone.

“Being fire smart around your home is critical,” says McNamara. “The better we prepare, educate ourselves and work together as homeowners and as a community, the better positioned we are.”

The reality is that the world will continue to face wildfires. And while we cannot control the weather, we can control how prepared we are. That means communities need to think differently about wildfire resilience, not as a seasonal exercise or a checklist of measures, but as an essential part of how communities are designed, built and operated.

At Predator Ridge, that commitment means continually investing in early detection, water infrastructure, fire response, fuel management, technology and people. Wildfire resilience is about giving our residents and neighbours the confidence that, if something does happen, our community has planned for it, invested in it and is ready to respond.

You might also like: