The Athabasca Fire Department tried to encourage residents to get involved in the FireSmart program with an open house at the Athabasca Fire Hall June 3.
The department hosted Alberta Wildfire information officers to help educate people about how to reduce the risk of a wildfire spreading around their home. The information was part of the FireSmart program, a national initiative which seeks to combat wildfires by getting people and communities to take steps to reduce the risk of wildfires spreading.
Athabasca Fire Department chief Travis Shalapay said a common reoccurrence in massive wildfires, such as Fort McMurray's wildfire in 2016, is a lack of preparedness.
"One common denominator that keeps showing true and true again is people's preparedness for wildfires," Shalapay said in an interview. "Being prepared at home is very important."
The Athabasca Fire Department has been making plans to implement FireSmart in Athabasca after town council approved a FireSmart community plan Dec. 19, Shalapay said.
The fire department has made four applications totalling $25,000 for Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta grants to start conducting fuel mitigation around public areas in Athabasca.
If the grants are approved, the department is currently targetting areas in the Tawatinaw and Muskeg Creek valleys, Shalapay said, with plans to reduce vegetation in those areas. That vegetation, also known as ladder fuels, can turn grass fires into tree fires.
However, getting local homeowners to get involved with FireSmart has been challenging, Shalapay said.
"It's really hit or miss when it comes to residents in town here, to be honest. Some people, with a heightened awareness of what we had in Slave Lake, Fort McMurray, Wabasca, they recognize the need and show a lot of interest," Shalapay said. "There are some that have been less receptive to the idea of doing some reductions in their yard."
Lac La Biche Forest Area wildfire information officer Leslie Lozinski said there are many ways people can FireSmart their homes, including choosing less flammable building materials during home construction.
"There are lots of decisions people can make that are more FireSmart than others. Don't put your firepit too close to your house. Don't put your woodpile too close to your back door," Lozinski said in an interview. "It's convenient, but not so FireSmart."
Lozinski, who attended the June 3 open house, added working to improve fire safety around a home is worthwhile.
"It's devastating when people lose their houses and people suffer loss through wildfire," Lozinski said. "If there are things people can do as a whole to decrease the chances of wildfire, I think it's worth it."
Shalapay said making a home FireSmart does not have to be too costly, adding the fire department is willing to do FireSmart assessments for homes in Athabasca.
"We strongly encourage people to consider FireSmart. It's not an onerous project. It's a lot of little things you can do to make your home much more defensible in the event of a large wildfire," Shalapay said.
