Canadian Forces Ammunition Depot – Rocky Point Fire Break

The Opportunity

The Rocky Point Ammunition Depot is located in a rural area in the District of Metchosin. The facility is surrounded by dense brush and forest, and as such, was deemed to be susceptible to impact from potential forest fires. To reduce the fire hazard, the Department of National Defence began a project to create a 4-kilometer long fire buffer along the perimeter of the facility.

The intent was to create a 30 m wide buffer between the facility’s perimeter fence and the adjacent forest. The buffer was also to be devoid of any flammable material, thereby creating a fire break in the event of a forest fire within the surrounding lands.

The Approach

Westbrook Consulting worked with SLR Consulting to map the proposed buffer area and to provide detailed design of the works necessary to create the proposed buffer. Westbrook Consulting utilized GPS survey to topographically survey the existing features, including known archeological areas, water courses, drainage features, roads, rock outcrops, perimeter fence, and edge of vegetation. SLR Consulting located environmentally sensitive polygons and provided polygon locations to Westbrook for inclusion within the base plan. Westbrook then provided the detailed design to extend drainage features outside the buffer area, enclose susceptible water courses, and avoid environmentally sensitive areas.

Due to the size of the facility, and the schedule of demolition exercises and restrictive operations, the topographic survey schedule needed to be coordinated with site security and the survey needed to be collected in such a manner that all safety and security measures were followed.

The Result

The design of the fire break was completed in summer of 2017.