Firesmart Your Home

Is Your Home Fire Smart?

We all love the rugged beauty of Ontario’s great outdoors; the lure of the lake, the noble forests, and a release from everyday of life. More and more people are getting excited about the beauty of the wilderness. Cottages, subdivisions and forest homes are springing up in the woods of northwestern Ontario. While living in rural areas may be a dream come true, the threat of a wildfire could become a nightmare.

If you’re living in northwestern Ontario, chances are you’re familiar with wildfire and have been exposed to what can happen when one erupts. Sure we’ve come to know that fire has a rightful place in the forest ecosystem, and we’ve all come to expect its arrival, but where does that leave us? What can we do to protect ourselves when a wildfire threatens?

The Ministry of Natural Resources Aviation and Forest Fire Management program has the responsibility for responding to wildfires. At times there has been so much fire activity across the region, that staff and equipment simply were not available to protect every structure in the path of every fire: this is where you come in. You’re responsible for taking measures to reduce the risk to yourself, your family and your property. Waiting for a fire to arrive before taking steps to protect your home may be too late.

Here are a few simple things you can do to your home before a wildfire arrives.

Tip #1: Maintain at least a 10-metre clearance (more on steep slopes) of flammable vegetation around your home.

We all enjoy having trees nestled right up close to our homes of cottages. However it is those trees that provide the fuel for a wildfire to burn. Any kind of vegetation around your home is combustible. Trees, shrubs, grass, your woodpile – even fallen leaves - act as fuel to a wildfire.

Remove any shrubs, trees or fallen branches within 10-metres of your home. Keep your grass cut and watered, and use fire-resistant plants for landscaping. Consider planting deciduous trees in place of much more flammable conifers.

Firewood is meant to burn in a fireplace or stove, not in a large pile along the side of your house. Ensure firewood is stacked at least 10-metres away from the house and covered with a non-flammable cover. Remember to also remove all flammable material from within 5-metres of any fuel tanks on your property. A clear space gives firefighters a better chance to save your home from fire.

Tip #2: Upgrade your home’s building materials and construction techniques to lower its combustibility.

While cedar siding and roof shakes look great on a forest home, the truth is they are not fire resistant. Roofing materials such as steel, asphalt, and tile are ignition-resistant, and steep steel roofs do not collect leaves or tree needles. Similarly, materials such as stucco, metal, brick, concrete, and aluminum or steel siding are the most fire resistant finishes on a home.

If your home or cottage has a chimney, make sure there are no tree limbs within 3-metres of it. Remove all dead tree limbs overhanging or near the house. Sparks from the chimney can set the tree on fire, which can set your house on fire. Make sure your chimney meets Ontario’s building code and is capped with an approved spark arrestor.

The eaves around your roof should be boxed in and screen should cover attic vent openings to keep sparks out. Burning embers can land in open eaves and set the house on fire. Similarly, the underside of wood decks attached to the house should be enclosed. Dry grass or sparks and embers under the deck can set the house on fire.

Tip#3: Ensure your home is easily accessible to emergency workers.

Should a wildfire approach your property, damage can be limited if firefighters have easy access to it. Post a sign with the name of the access road and house number in reflective letters where it can easily be seen.

Keep your driveway short, ensure its grade is not too steep or too narrow for fire trucks and maintain a surface capable of holding fire trucks. Remove flammable vegetation at least 5-metres on each side of the driveway so it is passable in the event of a wildfire.

While these tips may not prevent a wildfire from approaching your home or cottage, they will help contain any potential damage and reduce the dangers your family and property will face. All you have to do is “Beware and Prepare” for wildfires.

For more information contact the local MNR fire office and ask how you can become “FireSmart”.

If you are in the Kenora area, contact the Kenora Fire Management Headquarters at (807) 548-1919.