FireSmart
FireSmart begins at home
The Bowen Island Fire Department 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.
What is FireSmart?
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
We can show you how to make FireSmart actions that can protect your property, including measures related to:
- Home Construction
- Yard and landscaping
- Vegetation and fuels
- Access for first responders
- Farm or Acreage
Take action!
We are offering FREE workshops in 2019 to get Bowen Island residents familiar with and participating in the FireSmart program. Get your neighbours together and host in your home, or we can host groups at the fire hall.
We are also offering FREE home and property assessments - contact us if you'd like to learn more about risks to your home and possible steps you can take to mitigate them.
Contact us if you're interested in a FireSmart Workshop or Assessment
Problems with the form? Send us an e-mail at firesmart@bimbc.ca.
FireSmart resources
FireSmart Homeowner’s Assessment
FireSmart Guide to Landscaping
Last Updated on 2019-01-22 at 12:59 PM