Overview

The FireSmart program helps reduce wildfire risks to homes, neighbourhoods, and critical infrastructure. Everyone has a role to play – from individuals, to communities, to governments, to industry and business.

Seven disciplines help address the threats of wildfire, and helps us all learn to live alongside this natural, important force in our environment. 

Interagency cooperation

FireSmart is a shared responsibility. Preparedness requires the collaboration of each group, agency, and organization that might be affected by a wildfire. Strong partnerships and interagency communication are essential to an effective community FireSmart program.

Through the development of a local or regional FireSmart committee communities can coordinate and manage the implementation of their wildfire mitigation strategy.

Public education

A successful community FireSmart program requires engagement and strong partnerships. Elected officials, community planners, developers, government, industry, and residents all have important roles to play. Public education is one of the most challenging components of creating a FireSmart community as many residents do not understand the local risk from wildfire and assume emergency services will be able to protect the community during wildfires.

Cross-training

Wildfires do not respect jurisdictional boundaries and can move from forested lands into neighbourhoods and from neighbourhoods into forested lands. In many cases, wildland urban interface (WUI) events require the response of many different emergency response organizations. Planning and training must be completed ahead of time, training cannot be effective when done in isolation.

Cross-training aims to bring emergency response organizations together to identify potential weaknesses and gaps in response efforts, and familiarize organizations with equipment, procedures, and strategies of other agencies who may be involved.

Vegetation management

Vegetation management, broadly speaking, is the modification of wildland fuels (vegetation that can contribute to wildfire is known simply as ‘fuel’) for the purpose of mitigating the potential intensities and impact of wildfire. Intuitively vegetation management as a strategy for reducing wildfire hazard makes a lot of sense: wildfire requires fuel, in the form of vegetation, to burn; if we can change the fuel, we can change wildfire behaviour. 

Emergency planning

There are two ways of approaching the planning discipline: the creation of wildfire prevention and mitigation specific plans, and accounting for wildfire in existing emergency response and neighbourhood preparedness.

When multiple agencies join forces to respond to an emergency, the process can be complex.

Addressing interface characteristics and response strategies will help you to prepare for wildfire. Evacuations, response and recovery from a wildfire should be considered in your emergency plans.

Legislation

Legislation, bylaws, plans, policies and development standards all play a significant role in building and maintaining FireSmart communities. Consideration of wildfire at the development planning stage is a key step in protecting communities from wildfire. 

Development

Development standards protect communities from wildfires. From homeowners to local business, it’s everyone’s job to think about wildfire resiliency whether it’s the design phase, during building or while performing renovations. Wildfire resiliency is a cornerstone of sustainable developments.  

Questions?

Let us know – we’re ready to support you on your FireSmart journey.

Wildfire Prevention and Mitigation Team

FireSmart_Intellifeu@gov.nt.ca
Forest Management Division
Environment and Climate Change
Government of the Northwest Territories