FireSmart™ is a program that helps residents increase neighbourhood resilience to wildfire and minimize its negative impacts.

From simple tips for homeowners looking to protect their property to community programs led by local experts, everything you need to protect and prepare your home, neighbourhood, or municipality during wildfire season can be addressed by FireSmart principles.

The East Kootenay's focus on the FireSmart program remains strong. We follow the principles of FireSmart BC and FireSmart Canada to encourage residents to adopt FireSmart practices and reduce the potential for wildfire impacts on their properties.

NEW - The Local FireSmart Collective Program

The Local FireSmart Collective Program (LFCP) is the next step in community wildfire resilience. Replacing the FireSmart Canada Neighbourhood Recognition Program (FCNRP) in British Columbia, the LFCP supports and recognizes groups of residents and community organizations who take meaningful, collective action to protect their shared spaces from wildfire.

From rural areas and suburbs to First Nations communities or farms and ranches, this program is built to meet the unique needs of residents and reward their efforts. Communities currently recognized under FCNRP will continue to receive support until 2026.

A Local FireSmart Representative (LFR) can help you apply for the LFCP program. They’re here to assist you with the process and answer any questions you may have. Find an LFR in your area under "To Learn More".

What makes the LFCP Different?

While the Collective builds on the success of FCNRP, there are some important changes to be aware of.

The LFCP introduces a four-tier system to track and celebrate progress. Each tier reflects increasing levels of community engagement and wildfire resilience, with financial incentives and recognition available along the way.

This flexible program is more inclusive than ever, welcoming not just homes and properties, but parks, campuses, and businesses alike.

Learn more about this new program by clicking HERE.

RESOURCES TO GET YOU STARTED:

FireSmarting your property can be easy. And, every action you take to remove a potential hazard increases your property's resilience to wildfire. The best part is that simple and easy steps can make a drastic difference. Here are some resources from FireSmart BC to help get you started:

• FireSmart Begins With You Guide
• FireSmart BC Landscaping Guide
• Wildfire Preparedness Guide
• FireSmart Begins at Home Assessment
• FSC_Wildfire Evac Checklist

This past April, the East Kootenay FireSmart™ Program held its second annual Ember Stomp – a Wildfire Preparedness Day event in Jaffray.

Looking for a way to really illuminate the differences between FireSmart and non-FireSmart home landscaping and building choices, Local FireSmart Representative and event organizer, Jessica Chalmers, borrowed an idea from the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety Researchers for a demonstration burn.

The plan? To create two structurally similar “tiny houses”, one that was fire-resistant and one that was not.

The Fire-Resistant Structure featured two metal-sided walls and two fiber cement board walls. The corners on the building were made of raw spruce that was painted with fire-resistant primer and then finished with regular exterior paint. The building was finished with a clean aluminum eavestrough. Landscaping consisted of slate stone and a Lilac bush out front.

The Non-Fire-Resistant Structure was finished with new cedar siding, an aluminum eavestrough full of leaves, needles, and cones, and landscaped with bark mulch, needles, cones, and a few small Juniper bushes.

Hot embers were placed next to the buildings in their respective "mulch" materials, one being rock and the other wood. The wood mulch quickly ignited and spread the fire to the structure. The results were unmistakable.

The Fire-Resistant Structure held up remarkably well during the burn, with the only visible effect a blistering of the regular exterior paint. The fire-resistant primer suffered no effects.

Conversely, all that remained of the Non-Fire-Resistant Structure was a puddle of melted aluminum, which was once the eavestrough.

Thank you to all the generous donors who made this demonstration possible, including Canfor Elko, who built the structures for this project. Other donors include Westwing Construction, Cloverdale Paints, Rosen Lake Sand and Gravel, Kevin Smith, and Fernie Home Hardware Building Centre.

Additional thanks to Elk Valley & South Country Rural Fire and Rescue Service members, AC Engelhardt, Lt. Luc Tierens, Lt. Billy Woodford, FF Braeden Legge, and FF Lee Reynolds, who supported this demonstration with a small-scale Structural Protection set-up.

• BC Farm/Ranch Wildfire Plan Guide (Climate Action Initiative/Investment Agriculture Foundation BC)
• The Farm/Ranch Wildfire Plan Guide/Workbook (FireSmart BC)

The Rocky Mountain District’s Wildfire Risk Reduction targets Crown Land adjacent to communities and critical

infrastructure. The overall intent of the wildfire risk reduction effort is to lower fire intensities and the rate of spread

to allow for a successful suppression; not eliminate the probability and cause of ignition. By doing so, this helps to

enhance community resiliency, emergency response, and public safety. Below is a list of current projects.

The Emergency Wildfire Preparedness Checklist is a vital resource that informs residents of some key steps they can take to prepare their property during a wildfire emergency.

Click HERE for the checklist.