Firesmart For Homeowners
FireSmart Tips
Get tips for making your home and community safer. When everyone follows simple steps we can significantly reduce the risk of wildfire in your community and around your home or property. We’re all working toward a safer, more FireSmart community. Rollover items for more information.
Tips For Your Yard
When everyone follows simple steps through a phased approach, we can significantly reduce the risk of wildfire around your yard. We’re all working toward a safer, more FireSmart community.
10 metre zone
Remove all combustible material (twigs, dry grass, logs and leaves) within 10 metres of a structure.
10 Metre Zone
Prune trees
Prune evergreen tree branches 2 metres from the ground if they are within 30 metres of your home.
Mow
Regularly mow and water grass within 10 metres around your home and other structures.
Mowing Your Lawn
Keep your lawn trimmed to 10cm or less to reduce your wildfire risk. Troubles keeping your lawn green? Try adding clover to the mix.
Mulch
Do not use bark or pine needle mulch around your home they are highly flammable.
Example of FireSmart Mulch
Rocks are an excellent substitute for conventional mulches. While they made not add nutrients to the soil, they will trap moisture.
Landscaping
Plant fire-resistant plants and shrubs, such as supple leafy plants, around your home. Needled trees and shrubs such as spruce, pine, fir, cedars and junipers are highly flammable.
Click here to view the Firesmart Landscaping Guide and the Regional Landscaping Guide.
Firewood
Keep firewood piles at least 10 metres from structures.
Stack firewood 10 metres from structures.
Stacks of firewood have many openings where embers from a wildfire can land and smoulder. Moving your firewood away from your home reduces the likelihood of a wood pile fire spreading to your home.
Fire pits and burn barrels
Fire pits should be away from trees and overhanging branches. Ensure there is 3 metres free of combustible materials around a burn barrel. Do not leave either unattended.
Fire Pits & Burn Barrels
Tree Spacing
Spacing trees 3 metres apart (at the top) around your home will help reduce the intensity of a wildfire.
There should be a minimum of 3 metres between the outermost branches of your trees.
Tips For Your Home
When everyone follows simple steps through a phased approach, we can significantly reduce the risk of wildfire around your home. We’re all working toward a safer, more FireSmart community.
Roof
Choose fire resistant material such as Class A, B or C rated roofing such as asphalt, metal or clay.
Be Wise Be FireSmart Against Wildfires
How to FireSmart you home
Class A materials are the most fire resistant. Examples of Class A materials are: asphalt shingles, fibreglass, clay or concrete tiles, and metal roofing with the old roof removed.
Class B have a moderate fire resistance. Examples of Class B materials are: metal roofing installed with roofing paper over old roof.
Class C materials have a low fire resistance. Examples of Class C materials are: metal roof applied directly over old roof, C-rated wood shakes, and roofs with 3 layers of roofing felt.
Gutters
Clean your gutters of debris regularly. Embers can ignite dry materials.
Chimney
A spark arrestor should be placed on your chimney to reduce sparks from escaping.
Eaves and vents
Screen in your vents (3mm mesh) and close in your eaves. This reduces the chance of embers or heat igniting your roof.
Eaves & Gutters
Eaves are the overhanging space between your house wall and the edge of your roof.
Siding
Choose metal, stucco, brick/ concrete, or fibre cement board. Vinyl and untreated timber siding provides little protection against fire.
Doors
All entry doors into your home should be fire rated. This is true for garage doors also.
Decks
Enclose your decks and patios with fire resistant sheathing material to stop embers from collecting underneath and igniting a fire.
Decks with sheathing are less likely to ignite and require less regular maintenance to ensure they are debris free underneath.
Windows
Tempered, thermal (double paned) windows are recommended.
Emergency Tips
When everyone follows simple steps through a phased approach, we can help prepare you for a wildfire emergency. We’re all working toward a safer, more FireSmart community.
Firefighting tools
Have shovels, axes, rakes, sprinklers, hoses, and ladders available to assist in suppressing wildfire.
Firefighting Tools
Using roof-top sprinklers is a simple way for you to help protect your home from fire ignition.
Power lines
Power lines should be clear of branches and other vegetation. Contact your utility company for assistance.
- Tall trees (spruce, birch, pine, maple, etc.) should be planted at least 15 metres away from power lines.
- Trees planted closer than 7.5 metres should be low-growing varieties.
- Nothing should be planted closer than 5 metres from the base of a power pole.
- If you have a secondary line connecting your home to a power line, avoid planting trees that will grow into the line. If you don’t see a secondary line connected to your house, your secondary line is underground. Call before you dig when planting trees. (Atco Electric)
Address
Clearly have your house number marked on your property so emergency vehicles can locate you.
Access
Clear access routes to your home; keep trees away from your driveway.
What are FireSmart Home Assessments?
FireSmart Home Assessments are a tool that home and property owners can use to identify wildfire hazards that are present in and around their properties. Assessments can be completed by the homeowner by downloading the FireSmart Assessment Form or they can request to have a certified FireSmart Assessment Crew member come to their property to perform the assessment. Use the contact information below to set up an assessment.