Fire Prevention & Safety
The Castlegar Fire Department provides education on fire prevention and safety through visits to schools, senior facilities, daycares and local businesses.
FireSmart: Be Prepared for Wildfire Season
All of us can take steps to reduce the risk and impact of wildfire in Castlegar. The goal of the FireSmart BC program is to support wildfire preparedness, prevention and mitigation. We do this through seven disciplines:
- education
- vegetation management
- legislation and planning
- development considerations
- interagency cooperation
- emergency planning
- cross-training
FireSmart assessments are scheduled between May and September through partnership with RDCK FireSmart Mitigation specialists.
Reducing our risk is a shared responsibility involving all homeowners, neighbourhood leaders, all levels of government and participation from the private sector.
Research has shown that a house with both a fire-resistant roof and a FireSmart zone surrounding it is 85 per cent more likely to survive a wildfire.
- If you’re replacing your roof, choose a Class A or fire-resistant product. Your roof is the most vulnerable part of your house in a wildfire because of its large size and susceptibility to flying embers (firebrands).
- Dead pine needles are fuel. Keep them off your roof, out of your gutters and away from the foundation of your house.
- Prune your trees, removing all live and dead branches (up to two meters from the ground), taking no more than 30 per cent of live, green canopy.
- Trim back branches that are hanging over your roof and then clear your roof of leaf or needle litter.
- Keep your lawn mowed and watered, as fire moves quickly through dry grass and weeds.
- Store firewood at least 10 metres from your house, especially during fire season.
For more information, see FireSmart BC Factsheets on how to make your yard, windows and doors, siding, roof, gutters, eaves and vents, fences, decks and porches more fire-resistant.