A newly released guide is offering Vancouver Islanders some landscaping and gardening tips that can help safeguard homes.
‘FireSmart Guide to Gardening’ shares ways people can work with nature and the changing seasons to make their property fire-resistant.
The guide meets local building requirements and the specific climate conditions of the northern Vancouver Island region. It shares how incorporating fire-resistant plants in lush landscapes reduces the chance that embers from a wildfire will cause damage to a home.
“An important component of reducing disaster risk is public awareness about how to prepare in advance,” Campbell River fire chief Thomas Doherty says.
He says the more we can do to develop properties and landscapes with protective features in mind, the better chance we have of reducing risks.
“Studies continually demonstrate that the homes that survive a wildfire exhibit many of the attributes recommended by FireSmart guidelines,” Doherty adds.
If you’re in Campbell River, printed booklets are available at the Campbell River Garden Centre, Home Depot and Sticks and Stones Nursery.
The info is also available online here, under Fire Safety Information. It will also be posted in the emergency preparedness section of the Strathcona Regional District website.
