FireSmartBegins at Home

Flat Top ComplexSlave Lake - May 2011

Horse River FireFt. McMurray - May 2016

Kenow Fire – British ColumbiaWaterton/MD Pincher Cr - Sept 2017

• Structure Ignition:

• Embers (Firebrands)

• Direct Flame Contact

• Radiant Heat

More than 80%of

homes destroyed

by wildfires are

ignited by embers.

Lessons Learned?

Lessons Learned?

90% of homes with

non-flammable roofs

and 10 metres of

clearance from

flammable vegetation

will survive a major

wildfire.

Fire spreads only into

and onto locations with

fuels that support

combustion – including

homes.

Lessons Learned?

If homes don’t ignite……homes don’t burn.

The Root of the Problem

Without appropriate pre-fire mitigation:

FIRE CONTROL EFFORTS

ARE FREQUENTLY

OVERWHELMED

…and more

fire trucks are

NOT the

answer.

• Reduce ignitability of

the structure.

• Reduce fire intensity

as influenced by the

surrounding

vegetation.

Time to Refocus our Efforts

Focus on reducing losses BEFORE the fire starts.

Does Your Area have the

Potential for a WUI Disaster?

FireSmart Recommended Guidelines

• Home Ignition Zone

• Structural Options

• Vegetation Management

• Infrastructure Options

Structure

• Reduce the Ignitability of the Structure.• Roofing

• Siding

• Decks and Porches

Structural Options

FireSmartNot FireSmart

Vegetation Management Options

FireSmartNot FireSmart

• A non-combustible surface extending a

minimum of 1.5m around the structure

and any attachments (decks, porches).

Non-Combustible Zone (0-1.5m)

FireSmartNot FireSmart

• Create an environment that will not support fire

of any kind.• Irrigated, maintained lawn

• Low density of fire-resistant plants and shrubs

• DO NOT use bark or pine-needle mulch

• Store firewood & combustibles >10m from structure

Priority Zone 1 (1.5-10m)

FireSmartNot FireSmart

• Create an environment that will only

support fires of lower intensity and rate of

spread.

Priority Zones 2-3 (10-100m)

FireSmartNot FireSmart

• FireSmart infrastructure will increase resident &

firefighter safety and firefighter effectiveness during an

interface fire.• Access

• Water supply

• Franchised utilities

• Addressing and road signage

Infrastructure Options

FireSmartNot FireSmart

www.firesmartcanada.ca