Wildfires are becoming increasingly common in Alberta during the spring and summer months. It’s natural to feel nervous about the upcoming wildfire season considering the severity of the 2023 season. Fortunately, there are steps you can take on your property to reduce the risk of damage in the event of a wildfire. We offer a range of services that help communities and their residents better protect themselves during wildfire season.
Protecting Your Property - Vegetation Management Practices
FireSmart is a program designed to reduce the risk of wildfires. It involves community preparedness, vegetation management, building design improvements, emergency planning, and public education efforts to mitigate wildfire impacts.
FireSmart vegetation management techniques aim to reduce the risk of wildfires by modifying the surrounding landscape to create defensible space and minimize fire spread. Key FireSmart vegetation management techniques include:
1. Defensible Space
By clearing vegetation around structures and creating a 30-foot buffer zone, wildfires are less likely to spread.
2. Selective Removal
Reduce fuel for wildfires by removing dead trees and thinning out vegetation.
3. Thinning and Pruning
Limit wildfire spread across tree canopies by trimming branches.
4. Fuel Breaks
Clear vegetation along roads and ridgelines to slow fire spread
5. Fuel Modification
Methods like prescribed burning can be used to manage fuel characteristics. Prescribed burning is a controlled process where fires are deliberately set by trained professionals under carefully managed conditions to achieve specific land management objectives.
6. Fire-Resistant Landscaping
Limit wildfire spread by choosing fire-resistant plants in your landscaping and maintain healthy vegetation on your property.
7. Community Collaboration
When communities work together on large-scale vegetation management projects and risk assessments, it can lower the risk of wildfires across the community.
Services we offer
We offer wildfire mitigation services to rural and urban communities, Indigenous communities, and organizations including:
Wildfire mitigation strategies and preparedness guides
We offer strategies that include implementing measures such as vegetation management and creating defensible spaces to reduce the impact of wildfires. Additionally, we provide operational tools and guides to assist individuals and communities in preparing for wildfire events.
Wildfire hazard and risk assessments
Our team of experts are skilled at evaluating the likelihood of potential impacts of wildfires in specific areas, identifying vulnerabilities and informing land use planning, emergency response planning, and mitigation efforts.
Wildfire Analysis/Modeling and Mapping
Our experts use modeling tools (BurnP3, Exposure Assessment, Prometheus) to simulate the potential behavior and spread of wildfires, aiding in forecasting fire behavior, assessing potential impacts, and guiding response strategies
Ready to prepare your community for wildfire season?
View our Wildfire Mitigation Services here.
What to do next
Contact us: Reach out to us directly with any questions about wildfire prevention and mitigation
Reach out to your local Municipal Representative if you would like vegetation management work done in your area.
Visit FireSmart Canada to learn more about the FireSmart program.
