The Lake Country Fire Department was successful in getting some funding for FireSmart initiatives in the community. They have recently set up various 40-yard green waste disposal bins around the community to save residents the landfill trip and disposal fee for pruning and cutting shrubs and trees in efforts to FireSmart their property. They have also been able to offer a $500 rebate to property owners for having a FireSmart home assessment done and then taking action to follow the property-specific recommendations in the assessment.
“We’ve still got a bit of a backlog to work through as far as getting trained local firefighters out there to do the in-person assessments for applications in the system right now,” said Deputy Fire Chief Brent Penner. “Those that had the assessment done last year are encouraged to complete the actions recommended and claim the rebate of up to $500. The best part is, it’s surprisingly easy to do; so people that want to take action immediately can follow the suggestions in the Fire Smart Home Guide. Changes made to the area closest to your home, and your home itself, have the greatest potential to reduce the risk of wildfire damage. It is definitely worth the effort as it can make the difference in successful wildfire response to protect your home; and if you’ve had the assessment done already, it can mean a $500 rebate towards the cost of having a professional arborist or landscaper do the work, and can even be applied to an hourly wage for the homeowner to do the work in actioning the Wildfire Mitigation Specialist’s recommendations from the completed assessment report.”
FireSmart principles identify some of the most effective actions to protect your household. During a wildfire response the proactive actions taken by property owners can help create more positive outcomes, even in a dynamic wildfire situation like we saw in 2023. The FireSmart Home Guide is a great resource for everyone.
“We’re really pleased with the uptake from the community in taking FireSmart action and using the green waste bins,” said Penner. “By making sure there are no contaminants like plastic bags, building materials or debris dumped in the bins, we are able to have the leaves, twigs and branches composted or chipped for use as OgoGrow or other green projects around the community. We’ve got signs on the barricades around the bins so people know what can be disposed of in these special Super Save bins arranged for our FireSmart program.”
The FireSmart Home Partners Program is a collaboration between FireSmart Canada, FireSmart BC, provincial governments, local governments, Indigenous communities, the private sector and homeowners in Canada.
Lake Country residents who are interested in scheduling their free assessment can visit FireSmart Property Assessment Application Form (firesmartapp.ca) to get started with the online application.
By taking steps to reduce fire risks on properties, we are helping change the safety culture of our community and giving our firefighters a better opportunity to defend our homes against wildfire. Visit firesmartbc.ca/ to learn more.
For more information contact:
communications@lakecountry.bc.ca Tel 250-766-5650
Lake Country Fire Department Tel 250-766-2327
