FireSmart

Homeowners can make an impact on protecting their homes and property from fires in their community. When everyone is practical and proactive it’s possible to reduce the risk of wildfire before it threatens your home and community.

Ladysmith is working at being at FireSmart Community. FireSmart homes and neighbourhoods allow firefighters to concentrate on fighting the wildfire – which ultimately saves more homes and lives.
Communities whose residents take steps to reduce their vulnerability have a greater chance of surviving a wildfire without the intervention of the fire department.

Some of these preventative measures cost very little and reduce fire dangers by a great deal.

Fire Prevention Tips for Your Home and Yard

Home	Yard
Clean roofs & gutters of debris	Keep lawn mowed
Ensure doors have a good fire rating and a good seal, including garage doors	Remove debris piles on a regular basis - spring/fall
Clear debris from under decking	Bark mulch is highly flammable - keep away from house by 10m
Ensure chimneys have a spark arrestor to reduce sparks or embers from spreading	Place woodpiles away from your home
Consider screening eves and vents with mesh to prevent	Place fire pits or burn barrels away from the house, as well as out of the way of trees
Double-paned windows offer the best fire protection	Ensure trees don't come close to power lines

Useful Links
BC Wildfire Prevention	Fire Smart Homeowners Manual
Province of BC Firesmart Manual	FireSmart Community

FireSmart BC

Have you heard of FireSmartBC? It's all about how to improve the resiliency of your home during a wildfire event. Did you know fire brands (Hot flying embers) can travel 2kms and ignite spot fires ahead of the fire front. This means a FireSmart home is just as important in the middle of town as one bordering the Forrest.
Learn more about FireSmart BC at: https://firesmartbc.ca

FireSmart Community: Controlling Vegetation

Did you know that uncontrolled vegetation, particularly tall grass, is a fire hazard? Town staff would like to remind property owners that the hot, dry weather creates fire hazards - that's why it's so important to maintain landscaping and ensure that vegetation on all properties, including those that are vacant, is controlled. Owners of vacant land are still responsible for maintenance, even if they don't live there. Please also remember that it's your responsibility to mow long grass on boulevards adjacent to your property.

Let's all do our part to keep our community safe and beautiful!