By Times Chronicle Staff
If you live in strata or manufactured homes, you can get a free FireSmart assessment courtesy of the regional district.
The district (RDOS) is offering free wildfire hazard assessments to people living in these neighbourhoods, including gated communities.
The process encourages neighbours to work together using FireSmart principles to help protect their homes during a wildfire.
“Now is the time to take steps to protect your property, not when the fire is across the road,” says district chair Mark Pendergraft.
By booking your assessment, you’re taking a first step toward keeping your home and neighbourhood safe from the risk of wildfire, says Kerry Riess, RDOS FireSmart coordinator. He notes that a member of the FireSmart team will visit your community to evaluate the risks and help you get a plan in place.
The team evaluates the community’s risk of wildfire and recommends proactive actions to improve a home’s chance of survival.
The assessment focuses on the homes vulnerability to embers and small surface fires, the condition of the structures themselves, immediate hazards within the area, and concerns presented by common/open space areas or adjacent public lands.
The assessment also considers factors, including home construction, general landscaping, slope and aspect of the neighbourhood, and housing density.
For further information, visit firesmart.rdos.bc.ca or contact Riess at 250-490-4392.
