Wildfire training will light up this Coquitlam mountain on Thursday

If you see smoke billowing from Eagle Mountain on Thursday, don’t be alarmed: It’s just a drill for the Coquitlam firefighters.

The department — along with other emergency response agencies — will conduct interface training in and around Eagle Mountain Park from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on May 13.

Yesterday (Tuesday), fire crews and Coquitlam RCMP went door-to-door to alert about 300 neighbours on Westwood Plateau about the upcoming exercise, which will trigger an evacuation alert from 8:30 a.m. to noon.

Signs on nearby streets and at park and trail entrances will also go up before the practice starts and social media notifications will be posted on the city’s channels.

Residents are asked to steer clear from the area as the exercise will include smoke and loud noise, and the use of emergency vehicles and a helicopter.

According to a city press release, the drill aims to test specialized wildfire suppression and structural protection gear, aircraft bucketing and a real-time mapping ARCGIS Collector App for the simulated evacuation.

Funding for the interface preparedness comes from the provincial government via the Union of B.C. Municipalities.

DO YOU LIVE NEAR A FOREST?

Meanwhile, if you reside near a forested area in Coquitlam, here are some tips from the city to keep your home fire-safe: 

• keep combustible materials at least 1.5 m away from the home and piles of firewood at least 10 m away

• keep the roof and gutters free of leaves and pine needles and prune all branches that hang over

• choose fire-safe vegetation and space it to prevent a continuous line of vegetation leading to the home

• remove all dead/dry vegetation and trim tree limbs two to three meters from the ground

• choose non-combustible roofing, building and landscape materials

• know where the gas, electric and water shut-offs are

• have a wildfire escape plan in place 

Visit coquitlam.ca/interfacefire or go to firesmartbc.ca.