The Columbia Shuswap Regional District’s FireSmart program will be active for two more years, following receipt of a $1.1 million grant from the Community Resiliency Investment program, administered by the Union of BC Municipalities.
The Columbia Shuswap Regional District’s FireSmart program will be active for two more years, following receipt of a $1.1 million grant from the Community Resiliency Investment program, administered by the Union of BC Municipalities.
This grant funding will allow for the continuation of the Columbia Shuswap Regional District’s (CSRD) highly successful FireSmart program, which is recognized as one of the top programs in BC.
By offering the grant for two-years, the CSRD’s program has more financial certainty, giving the program a better timeframe to plan and complete projects.
“This grant really recognizes the importance of FireSmart, especially in areas like ours where the risk of wildfire to homes is great. Certainly, we saw examples during the Bush Creek East Wildfire where FireSmarted properties survived the blaze when others didn’t,” says Derek Sutherland, the CSRD’s General Manager of Community and Protective Services. “This grant will help us continue to reduce the risks of wildfire to properties across the region.”
The CSRD’s program centres on prevention and education programs for residents including the ability to receive a free personalized wildfire property assessment from a local FireSmart representative. This assessment allows owners to learn about their fire risks and take action to reduce them. The program also offers up to a $500 rebate for pre-approved FireSmart work.
Sophie Randell is the interim coordinator of the FireSmart Program and says homeowners can reduce their risks in many ways.
“Our approach is to look carefully at your home to identify the gaps where embers can take hold, then we focus outward to the rest of the landscape. Our goal is to show you what is imminently hazardous in the event of a wildfire, and it is not all about cutting down trees,” Randell says.
The CSRD’s FireSmart program also supports entire neighbourhoods taking steps to protect their properties through the FireSmart Neighbourhood Recognition Program. The CSRD can assist neighbourhoods with community clean-up or landscaping events. Eight neighbourhoods in the CSRD have already achieved this designation.
For more information, go to the FireSmart in the CSRD webpage at csrd.bc.ca/firesmart
