Board presses hazards chapter; members flag Big Mountain egress and wildfire risk

The Whitefish Community Development Board reviewed the draft hazards element of the growth policy on June 18, focusing discussion on wildfire risk, evacuation routes for Big Mountain neighborhoods and how the policy should reference community wildfire protection planning.

Public comment: Richard, a resident who participates in local Firewise/Fire Safe efforts, told the board that the draft should not present Haskell Basin or similar unimproved roads as reliable evacuation routes. “To send anyone to Haskell Road is to send them into a death trap,” Richard said, noting narrow roads, wooden bridges and steep canyons that firefighters and local responders consider hazardous during extreme fire events. He asked the board to remove or explicitly qualify any language that suggests those routes are dependable egress options.

Staff presentation: Alan T., the city’s long‑range planner, described the hazards chapter as significantly expanded relative to the city’s 2007 plan.…