How to protect your home in case of a wildfire

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Today marks one year since the start of BC’s worst-ever wildfire season. And while the Elephant Hill blaze happened west of 100 Mile House, it’s a good idea to be prepared in case a wildfire happens closer to home.

Jim Mandeville is a restoration specialist who has seen wildfire devastation first hand, whether it’s here in BC or next door in Alberta. Large-scale wildfires tend to be more rare on the south coast, but Mandeville warns they aren’t completely out of the realm of possibility.

“What they all have in common is that all of those towns were all built within the northern boreal forest and part of the life cycle of that forest is it burns,” he explains.

“And, we as humans often think that we contain nature and we can change things and, you know, we’re going to live here now. You know, every once in a while Mother Nature proves us wrong.”

He says there are many simple things you can do around your home to protect yourself before a fire strikes.

“You want to keep all of your trees pruned back, away from the home as far as possible. It’s critical that you keep your gutters clear of pine needles as much as possible and the same goes for the gardens or the areas around your home. You want to keep those free from tree litter as much as possible, keep your lawn cut short.”

He says communities can lean on each other for help with things like pruning trees–he recommends younger, more able-bodies people help those who are not as mobile. He also says you need to have an emergency kit ready to go.

“Having things like a bag ready to go with some clothes, some medications, and your identifications and some cash, especially, can be critical,” he says.

“Evacuations are often issued on very short notice as wildfires are unpredictable and it’s important that you’re ready to go and gt out of there. At the end of the day, we can build you a new house. We can’t necessarily build you a new family.”