August and September are often some of the worst months for forest fires in British Columbia because of hot weather and dry conditions. Here are some simple things that you can do to be more fire smart this wildfire season.
Be Fire Smart at Home
Remove excess vegetation, dead leaves, and other flammable fuel from around the outside of your home. Don’t forget to clean out anything that’s hidden underneath your porch!
Prepare an emergency evacuation kit and make a checklist of other items you would want to grab in a hurry, should you have to evacuate.
Install a sprinkler system on your property to help protect your home and other structures.
If you have firewood or lumber, keep it at least 10-30 metres away from your home.
Keep trees in your yard pruned so that there are at least 2 metres between the ground and the lowest branches.
Keep your lawn mown short to decrease the amount of fuel available.
Be Fire Smart on Vacation
Never leave campfires unattended and make sure that they are completely extinguished before you leave your campsite.
Know the fire safety restrictions and risk level in the area you are visiting.
When campfires are permitted, keep them small. This decreases the risk of a campfire getting out of control and igniting a wildfire.
Keep a shovel or water supply nearby when you have a campfire going so that you can extinguish it quickly if it were to get out of hand.
Never toss a lit cigarette on the ground or out of a car window.
Following the above guidelines can help you to prevent wildfire damage to your home and elsewhere. Always be mindful of the potential risk of wildfire wherever you are, and do your part to increase safety. At SPIEDR, we help support communities during wildfire season by providing firefighter training, consulting, and fire suppression equipment.
