Last summer, Sooke was touched by a forest fire in the Sooke Hills. For days and months we watched it burn, with the wind in our favour keeping it from the town site. Across the province, there are places that find themselves every spring and summer immersed in fires. Not a matter of if but when they start, it is a growing concern.
Madison Crawford is with the District of Sooke and is the FireSmart coordinator/fire prevention inspector, investigator and life safety educator. He previously was a marine engineer in the Royal Canadian Navy for 15 years. When released from his service in 2021, he began a transition in the fire service, working for 10 years as a wildfire mitigator for Metchosin Fire Department. In April 2024, he resigned from Metchosin and began working with the Sooke Fire Department.
His goal is to create a wildfire-resilient community through mitigation and public education. Implementing the FireSmart BC education program for grades K-12, as well as creating pathways for volunteers to reduce wildfire hazards in the green spaces and conducting home assessments on individual properties. Crawford will touch on how wildfire risks will only increase over time and give a general overview of creating a wildfire resilient property through FireSmart landscaping.
If you are a Sooke Garden Club member or new to Sooke, or gardening, join the Sooke Garden Club on Wednesday, March 26 at 7 p.m. at the St. Rose of Lima Catholic Church. If you would like to become a member, check out SGC Facebook page, website sookegardenclub.ca or email at Sookegc@gmail.com.
