Following one of the worst wildfire seasons on record, next summer is already shaping up to be a potential tinderbox due to the lasting impact of this year’s drought. So, Joel Hamilton, wildfire interface specialist at FireSmart, was on hand last month to help local firefighters prepare.
Roughly a dozen local firefighters and three fire chiefs took part in wildfire mitigation specialist training in late November as part of their local FireSmart representative training, evaluating possible wildfire risk by assessing features of homes and properties make them more susceptible to wildfire.
Coast Reporter tagged along for one of the assessments.
The home the firefighters were inspecting is a modern post and beam structure nestled on a cliff-face on Witherby Point near Port Mellon. With a panoramic view of the surrounding inlet and Gambier Island – it is also outside of the fire protection area.
Having a FireSmart evaluation done before the house is finished is an opportunity to address vulnerabilities – looking at where fire may spark and fire may spread, according to Hamilton.
FireSmart principles
Hamilton said that embers landing on homes are responsible for up to 90 per cent of homes lost to wildfire. “It's not this wall of fire kind of ideology that people perceive. It's embers landing on the little things around the house and structural nuances.”
The firefighters began their assessment by looking at the roof first, followed by the walls and then out around the structure. “Obviously the area closest to the house is most important,” said Hamilton. The roof takes particular focus as that’s where most of the embers will land on the structure.
There are three main zones around a property that FireSmart recommends should be clear of all combustible materials:
The first zone is within 1.5 metres of the house.
The second zone includes everything within 10 metres of the house. “Our radiant heat zone,” explained Hamilton. “We want to prevent any big ignitions from taking place within this area.”
The last zone is from 10 to 30 metres around the building, where FireSmart recommends reducing fuel loading and removing large trees.
House gutters should have metal coverings on the facia board above the gutter, so that if there is an ignition in a gutter, the fire is burning on metal instead of wood, explained Hamilton.
Vehicles ‘Achilles Heel’
A common cause of residential fires on the Coast are vehicles, described by Hamilton as often being the “Achilles Heel” in the chain of events around a wildfire.
He said he saw many cases this year where a burning vehicle spread the flames to surrounding structures.
“It’s really important to park them on a non-combustible surface, gravel, concrete or just dirt,” he said. “If it's on cured grass the fire can just run underneath and ignite vehicle components. And the older the vehicle, the more likely they are to ignite.”
Following each assessment, the homeowner receives a list of recommendations to make their property more FireSmart. For more advice on how to make your home wildfire resilient, visit the FireSmart website.
Jordan Copp is the Coast Reporter’s civic and Indigenous affairs reporter. This reporting beat is made possible by the Local Journalism Initiative.
