Take that to the bank! Homeowners receive $1,000 for completing FireSmart upgrades

Two homeowners on Beaver Drive whose homes back onto Centennial Park recently made some
changes to their properties in the name of being FireSmart. Joel and Stacey Wright had an old fence
between their house and their neighbour’s house that needed to be replaced. Around the same time
discussions about the fence took place, they saw some activity in the woods behind their home.
FireSmart crews were busy at work, clearing the bushes, removing dead and downed trees, and
lowering the fuel load in the park.
The couple walked over to the activity taking place and spoke with Fire Chief Brian Wynn. The rest, as
they say, is history. “He told us some things we could do to help out with this program (FireSmart). We
had to get rid of the fence anyways, so we decided to go all out and get rid of the trees, too,” explained
Joel. Their property had several large trees, with another between the neighbours’ homes. Two of the
trees were some of the biggest in the area.
The Wrights brought in a professional to remove the hazardous behemoths, which Joel said only took
three short hours from start to finish. “It really puts an ease on us. Those trees were so big, and with the
wind storms as of late, we were really worried about them blowing over on the property. I’m at ease
and not as worried about the forest fires now,” he added.
Fire Chief Brian Wynn and FF1 Terrance Corke visited the home on Thursday, July 27, to hand over a
check for $1,000. “They are doing everything fantastic,” said Chief Wynn. “The rock work that they’ve
done around the house is great. There are no fuels. That non-combustible zone is there. Nothing is going
to burn and take the structure. The roof’s in great shape. The siding is in good shape. The rock. The
barrier. The grass is well maintained, and they’ve expanded it in the back of the property. They took out
the tree in the front yard. There was a fence, and they rebuilt it. Now, because of the home assessment,
they are going to put a piece of metal between the wooden fence and the house so that they keep that
1.5-metre non-combustible zone. This way, even if the fence burns, it’s not going to touch either house,
“he explained.
Chief Wynn also tipped his cap to the neighbourly actions between the two homeowners. “They worked
with their neighbours, and their neighbour took down a big tree, so now you’re making the
neighbourhood safer. If we can keep growing that neighbouring safety thing, then it makes it easier to
save. If I can save this street, I can probably save everything else behind you guys.” Chief Wynn handed
over a similar check to the neighbour the following day.
Joel said that since they live on the park’s edge, being extra cautious is a good thing. “It’s been a great
experience, and I’m glad about the outcome.” He said the process was streamlined and recommended
other homeowners do it too, especially if they live near the park or forests surrounding the community.
“Let’s try and keep our neighbourhoods safe,” he said.
Stacey called the process informative and said she learned things she hadn’t considered before. “Trees
were obvious to me, but I would never have considered a wooden fence an issue,” she said, speaking to
having a wooden fence touching a house rather than having a metal connection between the house and
fence to stop a fire from reaching the structure.

She said her confidence has grown and that she better understands how to keep their home safe. “I was
really impressed. They were great and informative, and we learned a lot about keeping our home safe in
case of a wildfire. They are so friendly and helpful, and it was an easy process.”
Chief Wynn thanked the homeowners for putting in the work and being proactive. Residents interested
in learning more about reducing their wildfire risk are encouraged to call the Whitecourt Fire
Department at 780-778-2342 or email firedepartment@whitecourt.ca. The Whitecourt FireSmart
Homeowner Incentive Program awards up to $1,000 to help with the cost of FireSmarting. Round two of
the grant program wraps up on August 31, 2023. Upgrades that count towards the program include
upgrading the roofing material to ignition-resistant roof material, screening below a deck, converting
from mulch to rock in landscaping, cutting or removing conifer trees and cleaning and covering
eavestroughs.