Wildfires have become a common threat for communities across the province.

BCAA, in partnership with FireSmart BC, is committed to helping BC communities learn how to prepare for wildfires. Whether you own or rent a home in BC, spring is the ideal time to reduce the risk of damage caused by wildfires.

Here are some recommended actions to take from the experts at FireSmart BC, which can increase your home’s resilience to wildfire damage.

Review the zones around your home

There are three zones you can prepare and monitor when you’re looking to protect your home from wildfire damage:

Immediate Zone: 0 to 1.5 metres from your home

This is the crucial zone that immediately surrounds your home and attachments like decks. To protect this area, start with the exterior of your home. Quick and easy updates you can do to help your home survive a wildfire include:

• The surfaces around your home should be made from fire-resistant, non-combustible materials like gravel, brick, concrete or rocks.
• Make sure you clear away all tree branches and woody shrubs that could potentially ignite from around your house. Regularly remove leaves or branches that have collected on your home’s roof or gutters, or under patios and decks.
• Embers and heat often gets trapped under overhangs and in the upper part of exterior walls. Install fitted blocking, fascia, soffits or non-combustible 3mm screens to help reduce the risk of embers and heat reaching your attic.
• Put screens over vents (except for drier vents) and chimneys to stop embers from coming in or sparks from escaping out.

In neighbourhoods impacted by wildfire, homes with no combustible materials within 1.5m of the structures are more likely to survive. Homes that are more likely to survive a wildfire have a Class A roof (metal, asphalt, concrete or clay tiles) and non-combustible siding (stucco, brick, fibre cement board/panel). Whatever material your home is made from, you can take actions to make your home more fire resilient. If you're looking to renovate your property, why not consider the following:

• Replace wooden decks with stone or cement patios, or with fire-resistant materials.
• Learn your roofing grade. If you don’t know it, it’s time to get graded by a pro. Firesmart recommends Class A. Replace unrated or old roofing with new, fire-resistant roofing materials.
• Are your windows and doors fire-resistant? If not, consider upgrading your home with multi-pane tempered glass windows and replacing damaged or worn weather stripping.

Intermediate Zone: 1.5 to 10 metres from your home.

The Intermediate Zone plays a key role in reducing the risk of fire spreading to your home. To protect this zone from advancing wildfires:

• Move all combustible materials like gas tanks, firewood and pine needle mulch at least 10 metres from your home and treat them to the same FireSmart standards as your home.
• Move sheds and other outbuildings at least 10 metres away from your home and treat them to the same FireSmart standards as your home.
• Make smart landscaping choices:
  • Keep your lawn mowed to 10 centimetres and clear leaves, twigs, branches and pine needles.
  • If you’ve got bark or pine needle mulch, replace it with gravel mulch or decorative crushed rock.
  • Plant leafy, deciduous trees close to your home rather than more flammable coniferous trees. Evergreen trees should not be within 10 metres of your home.
  • For more smart landscaping choices, read our blog about FireSmart plants and landscaping tips that increase your property’s wildfire resiliency or check out the FireSmart BC Landscaping Hub.

Extended Zone: 10 to 30 metres from your home

Even if this land is not part of your property, it’s worth starting the conversation with neighbours or the council about how you can share the responsibility to keep wildfires away from your home. Here are some things to consider:

• Coniferous trees should be spaced out to reduce the spread of fire.
• Remove all branches to a height of two metres from the ground.
• There should be clear access for emergency vehicles to get through.
• Focus on what you can control on your own property and what you can cooperate on with neighbours.

Stay prepared and keep yourself protected

Your home is your sanctuary. Planning and taking actions to prevent the spread of wildfire can help protect it this year, next year and every year beyond.

The FireSmart BC Wildfire Mitigation Program offers free home assessments that provide specific actions homeowners can take to help significantly lower a property’s wildfire risk. Upon completion of an assessment, you can save $100 on BCAA Home Insurance and even more if you action all the recommendations. Find out if your community is participating and request a home assessment.

Making any big changes to your home to improve its resilience? Let your home insurance provider know, as you may need to update your coverage to protect your upgrades. If you're with BCAA Home Insurance, you may be eligible for Home Safety Savings too. Chat with one of our expert advisors or get a quote online. BCAA Members save 10% and you can save an additional 5% by buying online.