A new tool to combat wildfires and keep communities safer

Whitecourt Fire Chief Brian Wynn is excited to announce that the new homeowner’s app from FireSmart Canada has launched. The FireSmart Canada website has been available for homeowners for quite some time, but the app brings every bit of information together in a more user-friendly manner. Rather than having to navigate information, the app walks users through a self-assessment of their home. The point of the assessment is to help lower the risk of a home catching fire in the case of an advancing wildfire or nearby structure fire by removing flammable items from the immediate area like debris, shrubs, wooden fences up to the home, large trees, stacked firewood, and mulch.  

“The app gives the homeowner all the information needed to do a self-assessment of his or her property. It starts at Zone 1A which is a five-foot perimeter from the house, and goes out to the other zones,” he explained. The app also answers a lot of questions that homeowners may have which saves time on all sides. Fire Chief Wynn said this time of year is the perfect time to get FireSmart. “Get all the dead debris out of the flower beds, the garden, and get your grass cut so that in the spring when we have our extreme fire season, you won’t have to worry because the work is already done.”

Not only does the app walk homeowners through dealing with vegetation, but it also gives options for future renovations. “From the shingles to the siding or stucco on your home, it says the good and bad points of each option and even if in the future you’re planning on renovating your house on the outside then it can guide you to some things that would be better suited for where we live in the wildland-urban interface.”

Providing the app free of charge for residents helps reach as many people as possible. The more residents who FireSmart their homes the safer neighbourhoods can become. As an extra incentive, certain insurance companies even provide a reduction in insurance for homes that get good assessments from the program. The first step is to download the app and do a walk through your property. The second step is to do some work on the various areas that need it. Once completed, call the fire department office and set up an official home assessment.

“We want the homeowners to go through the app and do what they can. Then we will send out a small crew to assess while the homeowner is there. The reason we do it while the homeowner is there is because they get feedback right in the moment and our assessors like doing it with them because they get to interact with residents. It’s all positive stuff to help make their property safer,” he said.

Fire Chief Wynn said every home assessment they have done so far has been positive for both the department and the homeowner. “Our people like to do them, and every homeowner that has done it sees great value in it and in having that conversation with our members. We have the experience of looking at other properties and from our experience on the fire end of understanding the embers coming in and how they land. We explain that to homeowners.”

The app took six months to develop, and Wynn said they are thrilled with it. To download, visit your app store and search FireSmart Canada. The app thumbnail shows a tree and grey house, and the preview images have a teal colour.