B.C. native leaders call for wildfire aid

The B.C. First Nations Forestry Council says communities are still looking for the fire prevention help they were promised.

The council says of 103 communities in B.C.'swildfire region, only 39 have specialstrategiesin place and none have been able to complete the job of removing dead timber to create a firebreak.

Council president Chief Bill Williams said the council drafted a plan to mitigate the risk of wildfires more than two years ago.

Members estimated it would cost $135 million to clear dead timber and create a buffer around their communities.

"We submitted a budget, but we never received any funding," Williams said.

Many aboriginal communities sit in the middle of timber killed by the pine beetle.

Federal aid runs out

The federal governmentprovided some money in its program to deal with the beetle infestation, but thathas now ended.

In the B.C. legislature last week, New Democrat MLA Bob Simpson blamed the provincial government.

"This government has actually abandoned the most vulnerable communities in the fire interface and that's First Nations communities."

But Forests Minister Pat Bell rejected that allegation.

"Well, that's just nonsense and, in fact, we've worked very closely with First Nations communities across the province to make sure that they have wildfire protection plans in place," Bell said.

Williams said community leaders are worried about what may happen if fire breaks out.

"Oh, it just horrifies. We know how that the aboriginal communities live within the forest," he said.

"There is no firebreak whatsoever and if there is a fire started it is going to, unfortunately, create havoc not only to people's homes, but maybe to community centres."