Treeplanting Supervisors Need to Know the Representative Weather Station for Each Blk
5 May 2024Background
I have just finished three training sessions that included several tree planters. Many had stories of close encounters with wildfires in 2023. It is great to see that more planting contractors are keen to make sure their folks are adequately trained. However all the tree planters, including supervisors, stated they were unaware of how to determine the representative weather station for a specific block.
Tree-planting is an industrial activity and planters are forest workers. Just like any other industrial operation they are required to meet the prevention, preparedness and response obligations detailed in the Wildfire Act/Regulations and Worksafe BC Act and Regulations. Meeting these obligations may be part of contractual and insurance requirements as well.
Knowing the representative weather station for each worksite and reviewing the applicable Fire Danger Rating, current and forecast weather, fuel moisture codes and fire behavior indices are core components of meeting these wildfire obligations,
The BC Wildfire Service app will tell you the closest weather station but this might not be the most representative.
BC Wildfire App
Determining the most representative weather station for each site falls in the scope of professional forestry and will have been identified for the harvest plan. It just needs to be transferred to the planting maps and info package.
0400 Weather Readings from Bear Lake, May 5,2024. Note the FFMC of 93.5 = easy ignition and rapid spread of fine fuels
Suggestions
1. Tree planting contractors and supervisors should ask their Licensee Silviculture Supervisor for the representative weather station for each worksite.
2. Supervisors should conduct a risk assessment then consult the representative station on the BCWS app daily and make appropriate prevention, preparedness and response operational adjustments.
3. Considering the ongoing drought conditions, and forecast early and elevated wildfire activity, I suggest it would be prudent for supervisors to include this information in the daily crew briefing for each worksite.
Good luck with the season. Contact me anytime for more information.
Doug MacLeod