Saturday January 18, 2025 | VIEW ROYAL, BC
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
The Town of View Royal is off to an early start with wildfire protection management in their region.
As of January 1 this year, the FireSmart Home Partners Program has officially transitioned from FireSmart™ Canada to FireSmart™ BC and now offers the FireSmart BC Wildfire Mitigation Program (WMP).
WMP is designed to engage homeowners in voluntary wildfire mitigation activities by offering a free professional home assessment with
property-specific recommendations.
“We are proud to be among the communities in BC currently offering the FireSmart BC Wildfire Mitigation Program in an effort to mitigate the impacts of wildfire,” said Ryan Eason, FireSmart Coordinator, View Royal Fire Rescue.
“We hope homeowners will take advantage of the opportunity to take action to reduce wildfire risks to their home,” says Eason. The View Royal FireSmart webpage has more information.
Tips:
Taking action to FireSmart your property by removing flammable materials and vegetation around your property and preventing embers from accumulating will decrease the risk of wildfire to your home.
Here are a few examples of FireSmart activities:
• Request an assessment of your property by emailing firesmart@viewroyal.ca.
• Ensure gutters and roofs are well maintained and clear of leaves and debris.
• Install 3-millimetre non-combustible wire mesh on exterior vents.
• Keep decks and balconies clear of leaves and debris.
• Keep grass cut below 10 centimetres.
• Rake up and remove dried needles and leaves.
• Plant fire-resistant plants using the Landscaping Guide.
• Move firewood, lumber and propane tanks 10-30 meters from your home.
• Remove lower branches on trees up to 2 meters.
• Space evergreen trees at least 3 meters apart.
Evaluate your property wildfire exposure:
The assessment process evaluates a property’s wildfire exposure and involves the homeowner by addressing their specific risks and identifying ways to reduce them.
The FireSmart BC Wildfire Mitigation Program is a collaboration between FireSmart Canada, FireSmart BC, provincial governments, local governments, Indigenous communities, the private sector and homeowners in Canada.
View Royal property owners who are interested in scheduling their free home assessment can visit: FireSmart BC Wildifre Mitigation Program page and use the ‘find your city’ tool to select “View Royal” as the jurisdiction.
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