“With that 1.2 million we’ve started clearing the ditches on those roads that were heavily impacted by the tornado and we finished Vardy Road and we have moved on to Private Settlement Road which will be done in the next couple of days and then we’re going to hit a number of other roads that were hit by the derecho.”
DeGenova says the deputy fire chief is meeting with homeowners to assess work that needs to be done.
” … meeting with homeowners who requested us to come in and assess work that can be done around their property in relation to the fire smart program, which looks at clearing 30 metres around major housing infrastructure buildings. Clearing all the dead wood and everything so that it doesn’t provide fuel for a fire.”
He added, “There are about 60 homes that have reached out to us and we’re hoping to be removing that debris within three weeks.”
“The fire chief has negotiated a fire protection arrangement with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry which is going to cost us a little bit more money. But what it does is they basically guarantee us that if a fire should break out within the affected area, they will have water bombers at the ready. They will have firefighters who are sort of helicoptered into the middle of the fire to battle it.
“We’ve also had a weather station installed in that zone so we can determine if it’s getting too hot so they can be at the ready just in case.
DeGenova also told Quinte News, “We’re moving ahead but we’re still lobbying the federal government for money.
“I’ve put a request in to MP Shelby Kramp-Neuman and she sent that request off to Minister Mancino, the public safety minister, that he at least match what the province gave us.”
