FireSmart

2021 FireSmart Home Assessments and Rebates

The FireSmart program is funded through a grant from the Union of BC Municipalities. Bowen Island Fire Rescue applied for grant funding for this program in 2021 and will find out in Spring 2021 if we are sucessful in obtaining the grant funding. If successful, FireSmart home assessments and rebates will continue in 2021.

2020 FireSmart Program Rebates

If you had a home assessment done by one of our qualified local FireSmart representatives in 2020 we will reimburse you 50% of the costs for work completed on your property as recommended in your FireSmart assessment, up to $500 per property. When work is complete, please email your invoice to fire@bimbc.ca. The rebates are grant funded. In 2020, there is $9,500 in rebates available.

FireSmart begins at home

Bowen Island Fire Rescue encourages residents to take steps to protect your home from wildfire. The FireSmart program can help you figure out how.

Wildfires become particularly devastating when they encroach on human settlements and critical infrastructure. When this occurs, they are considered Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) fires and can be extremely destructive.

Many residential dwellings on Bowen Island are surrounded by dense forest and low-lying brush,
increasing the vulnerability to WUI fire spread.

Bowen Island Municipality has produced an island-specific brochure on FireSmart activities in our coastal forest environment. You can download a PDF of the bruchure or pick one up at Municipal Hall.

Bowen Island FireSmart Brochure

FireSmart Workshops

A virtual workshop was held on May 27, 2020 to get Bowen Island residents familiar with and participating in the FireSmart program. You can watch the presentation below.

What is FireSmart?

It’s Time To Get FireSmart About Wildfires In BC from FireSmartBC on Vimeo.

FireSmart is an initiative to help property owners understand the ways in which wildfire might threaten structures and property located in, and close to, forested and wildland areas, and the steps individuals and communities can take to reduce the susceptibility of buildings and property to fire.

Protecting your home from wildfire starts with simple actions. Whether you are doing regular yard maintenance or making large scale changes during renovations or landscaping, you can make choices that will help protect your home from wildfire.

For example;

Clearing all plants and other vegetation from within 10m of a structure
Ensuring that there are no trees or other vegetation overhanging the roof
When planting new trees consider planting deciduous species such as birch and aspen