LFR of the month

1. Where do you live and what geographical area do you cover?  I live in the Ashcroft area and mainly focus on the Community of the Ashcroft Indian Band.

2. How long have you been an LFR?  I have been an LFR for about 1 year. But, I have been managing the Band’s Fire Mitigation program for about 3 years now.

3. What made you decide that you wanted to be an LFR and support homeowners and neighbourhoods on how to become FireSmart?  I have been working for the Ashcroft Indian Band for over 4 years. I started managing the Fire Mitigation and Emergency Readiness and Response Program three years ago. I started out as the FireSmart Champion, and the natural progression was to take on the LFR role as well. Since the 2017 Wildfire our main focus at the Band is Fire Mitigation and doing the best we can to make sure we are better prepared if another wildfire strikes in our area again.

4. What would you say are your 2 biggest challenges as an LFR?  One is definitely getting people on board with the fire mitigation program, making sure that homes, decks and yards are “Firesmart” and free of flammable fuels and debris.

5. What are some of your successes with the FireSmart program?  We have an amazing crew that works tirelessly from early Spring to late Fall. We have multiple community clean ups, our staff are constantly weed-eating, mowing, removing debris, flammable fuels and maintaining fire guards. We’ve started our tree replacement program, removing flammable coniferous trees around homes and replacing them with the nice green leafy deciduous trees. Since the 2017 wildfire, all of our new builds use Firesmart materials, Hardy Board siding and metal roofs. We are also working on a burn plan to conduct cultural and prescribed burns in the Spring and Fall.

6. What has been your favourite project/event you have done with your local FireSmart Program?  One of my favourite projects has been the regreening of the community. We have been working hard to replace the trees lost in the 2017 wildfire, while providing privacy for homes and shade for our community members, as well as beautifying the landscape.

7. What is your favourite of aspect of the FireSmart BC website ?  I like how easily accessible handouts are.

1. Where do you live and what geographical area do you cover?  Nelson, I cover the entire Regional District of Central Kootenay

2. How long have you been an LFR? 4 years

3. What made you decide that you wanted to be an LFR and support homeowners and neighbourhoods on how to become FireSmart? My previous experiences as a structural and wildland firefighter exposed me to the devastating effects of wildfire. I felt like education and prevention was a great way to make a positive impact on our communities.

4. What would you say are your 2 biggest challenges as an LFR ? 1) Connecting with such a large geographic area. 2) The reactive nature of people, it is sometimes difficult to keep momentum and engage in slow fire years, while in busy years, everyone wants FireSmart when their home is in danger.

5. What are some of your successes with the FireSmart program? Most of my successes are a result of the amazing team of 6 Wildfire Mitigation Specialists I help manage here at the RDCK. Together, we complete 300 HPP assessments, work with over 30 Neighbourhood Recognition Programs and process over 100 rebates each year.

6. What has been your favourite project/event you have done with your local FireSmart Program? From a regional perspective, it has been amazing to watch all the meaningful change taking place. All the homeowners through the rebate program are truly reducing their risk to wildfire. While Neighbourhood programs have now been established for long enough that they are in a much better situation than 4 years ago. One Neighbourhood in Castlegar finally received permission from the strata council to move forward with their full FireSmart plan and they removed over 100 cedar hedges from within the non-combustible zones last year. This was a 4-5 year process of working very closely with the neighbourhood.

7. What advice would you give to other LFR’s? Be patient and accommodating. Recognize this isn’t going to happen over night and work hard to provide unique solutions to individuals FireSmart situations.

8. What is your favourite of aspect of the FireSmart BC website ? After each assessment, we like to provide a link to the digital copies of the various guides and manuals found on the website. Very helpful.

1. Where do you live and what geographical area do you cover?  I live in Peachland and cover the District of Peachland while occasionally partnering with West Kelowna for events.

2. How long have you been an LFR? I have been an LFR since 2021.

3. What made you decide that you wanted to be an LFR and support homeowners and neighbourhoods on how to become FireSmart?Peachland Fire and Rescue Service was looking to expand our FireSmart program. They hoped to have an experienced paid-on-call member do the LFR training and help with the program. I figured since I had been on a few wildfire deployments for structure protection, it would be a great chance to bring my experiences with wildfire to help my community become more resilient and expand my knowledge of FireSmart. It has been an amazing opportunity to solidify some knowledge and learn so much more while helping the residents of my community.

4. What would you say are your 2 biggest challenges as an LFR ? I tend to struggle with helping homeowners plan FireSmart landscaping that works with their property and personal preference while being affordable. The other struggle I face is with homes that are on a slope that only junipers are holding. It can be difficult to come up with a plan for maintaining slope stability while trying to promote FireSmart principles.

5. What are some of your successes with the FireSmart program? I would say getting and implementing a successful rebate program. It has been amazing seeing the increased engagement from community members. We also have an overwhelming interest in requests for home hazard ignition assessments that we promoted through educational programs. And an oversubscribed neighbourhood chipping days that residents help plan and execute themselves.

6. What has been your favourite project/event you have done with your local FireSmart Program? Last year I worked with a neighbourhood that wanted to be a part of the neighbourhood recondition program. The event they held was a work day where they filled a 40-yard bin with coniferous debris. They paired this event with a FireSmart info booth to include the residents who were unable to help with the manual labour. After hours of work, they held a barbecue where they thanked all the residents who volunteered as well as the firefighters who came out to help.

7. What advice would you give to other LFR’s? My advice would have to be to ask the homeowner what their primary concern regarding their property and wildfire is. I have found that usually, they are worried about the forest nearby, the mountain above, or their neighbour's property. By addressing their concerns first I have found that afterwards the homeowner can feel at ease and be more receptive to the recommendations regarding their home. Rather than thinking about their concerns the whole assessment and not being fully present.

8. What is your favourite of aspect of the FireSmart BC website ? My favourite part of the website would have to be the FireSmart BC Landscaping Hub. It is a great tool that allows homeowners to make informed decisions with their landscaping to help it become more wildfire resilient.

1. Where do you live and what geographical area do you cover? I live in Lillooet. Most of my work occurs in Lillooet, the Fraser Canyon, and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District.

2. How long have you been an LFR? Since 2017.

3. What made you decide that you wanted to be an LFR and support homeowners and neighbourhoods on how to become FireSmart? My employer at the time needed an LFR to get a rebate program going so I attended a training session in Kamloops. I learned a lot about how houses burn that I hadn’t known before, and found the information really useful for my own house, so I’m glad to be able to share this information with my community. The LFR work has been especially rewarding during the past few years when my community was heavily impacted by wildfires. FireSmart work helps us feel more secure and in control when there are wildfires at the doorstep.

4. What would you say are your 2 biggest challenges as a LFR? It can be challenging to make recommendations that balance FireSmart principles with homeowner’s needs for privacy, shade, water availability, habitat, etc. Another challenge is that as a forest technologist I don’t have a background in some components of the FireSmart assessments such as landscaping, home construction and structural firefighting.

5. What are some of your successes with the FireSmart program? In 2021/22 I worked on a project with the District of Lillooet and Squamish-Lillooet Regional District where we offered free labourers and arborists to seniors for up to 2 days per property. It was amazing to see some of the property transformations and how much more secure the homeowners felt after the work was done. The program really helped reduce the barriers that a lot of people face with FireSmart, such as financial capacity, physical ability and access to professionals on remote properties.

6. What has been your favourite project/event you have done with your local FireSmart Program? I helped organize a community cleanup day at the Enchanted Forest at Gun Lake. About 20 of us got together and thinned out the understory, pruned trees and stacked burn piles. It was pretty fun to find bug sculptures, gnome houses and random enchanted scenes as we worked.

7. What advice would you give to other LFR’s? FireSmart home assessments can be intimidating for some homeowners because they think they’ll have to clearcut everything. It helps to ask them what their goals/values are, tell them about the wildfire risks on their properties, and make recommendations that work with their vision for the property.

8. What is your favourite of aspect of the FireSmart BC website? The research section is really helpful and makes it easy to stay updated.

1. Where do you live and what geographical area do you cover? I reside in the City of Penticton and cover this area as well!

2. How long have you been an LFR? I completed my LFR training in May of 2021.

3. What made you decide that you wanted to be an LFR and support homeowners and neighbourhoods on how to become FireSmart? I had started my new position as the FireSmart Team Lead for the City of Penticton’s FireSmart Program. The LFR training became available, and this was a great opportunity to start hunkering down on FireSmart basics. Now that I have this knowledge, I want to continue to share this knowledge with residents in the City of Penticton. Penticton is located in a wildfire-prone area, and I want all homeowners to know what they can do to become more resilient to wildfire.

4. What would you say are your 2 biggest challenges as a LFR? 1. Creating a change in behaviour once FireSmart assessments have been completed. Many residents know their hazards after receiving a FireSmart Home Assessment, but struggle to make the change. 2. Supporting an older demographic through the Neighbourhood Recognition Program which must be applied on through the portal now!

5. What are some of your successes with the FireSmart program? More and more people are recognizing FireSmart and the FireSmart team, and more people are having a better understanding of the FireSmart principles. Especially kids. They have been like sponges to the FireSmart educational material. It has also been great to see communities/neighbourhoods come together for the first time because of FireSmart. Through the FCNRP neighbours are meeting neighbours for the first time, it is awesome to see that sense of community made possible through this program.

6. What has been your favourite project/event you have done with your local FireSmart Program? My favourite event this far was a FireSmart information session specific to landscaping. This information session was for a Gardening group that met monthly and they were curious as to what FireSmart landscaping really was. After this event, they all went back to their neighbourhoods and shared what they had learned. Seeing how all of this information has different avenues to disseminate into the community has been neat!

7. What advice would you give to other LFR’s? Take the opportunity to learn everything and anything that relates to FireSmart! There is so much information out there, and homeowners always seem to think of the most bizarre questions. So, the more information you can have in your toolkit may benefit you somewhere down the road. Having more knowledge on FireSmart also allows for LFRs to have a better overall view of the FireSmart program.

8. What is your favourite of aspect of the FireSmart BC website? The FireSmart BC Landscaping Hub! This is a great resource for people looking to complete some FireSmart landscaping. I like how it breaks down the plants into trees, shrubs, groundcover, etc. I am also excited to see the development of the FireSmart Community Forum. This will be an excellent resource for LFRs and FireSmart Coordinators.

1.Where do you live and what geographical area do you cover?

Central interior of the province near Bouchie Lake and cover Quesnel and the North Cariboo

2. How long have you been an LFR?

4 years

3. What made you decide that you wanted to be an LFR and support homeowners and neighbourhoods on how to become FireSmart?

I’ve worked in the Forest industry for > 30 years as an RPF and after I retired the opportunity came along to share the fireSmart concepts with the community so I jumped at it as I believe in the concepts and seen the results first hand, so sharing the information is a natural fit for me.

4. What would you say are your 2 biggest challenges as an LFR?

A. Getting the message out in a variety of ways to as many people as possible

B. Getting municipalities and larger businesses to see the benefits of reducing the risk around their infrastructure and utilize firesmart practices in new construction

5. What are some of your successes with the FireSmart program?

Working with a local church where we worked on a neighbourhood plan as they proved a venue for meetings and helped spread the message amongst their parishioners.

6. What has been your favourite project/event you have done with your local FireSmart Program?

Working on a neighbourhood plan with community members and seeing the growth in the concepts and their pride in their efforts as they spread the message to their neighbours.

7. What advice would you give to other LFR’s?

Always look at any and all opportunities to spread the message, I find it is like a pair of glasses and once you put them on, you can never take them off.

8. What is your favourite aspect of the FireSmart BC website?

The wide variety of resources that are at your fingertips and the support that is provided when necessary.

1. Where do you live and what geographical area do you cover? I live in Kimberley, BC and I primarily cover the City of Cranbrook and RDEK Electoral Areas C and E, however, can provide support to residents throughout the Regional District of East Kootenay.

2. How long have you been an LFR? I took the LFR course in winter 2020 but didn’t work as an LFR until spring 2022.

3. What made you decide that you wanted to be an LFR and support homeowners and neighbourhoods on how to become FireSmart? My experiences working on a Unit Crew with BC Wildfire Service and my understanding of the changing reality of wildfires in the WUI. When I moved on from the wildfire service, I wanted to continue with work related to wildfire, and wanted to be able to share my knowledge and experiences to motivate change.

4. What would you say are your 2 biggest challenges as an LFR? Finding individuals willing to commit their time and energy to acting as a community champion. Engaging with “nay-sayers” in communities.

5. What are some of your successes with the FireSmart program Working with champions who start off overwhelmed by the FCNRP process, supporting them and simplifying the process for them, and helping them be successful, [and] finding new engagement opportunities.

6. What has been your favourite project/event you have done with your local FireSmart Program? I really enjoy giving presentations to community groups and schools! This year I gave presentations to a Cubs group, summer camps, Grade 3 classes, and two branches of the Rotary Club.

7. What advice would you give to other LFR’s? Meet people where they are at! Not everyone can commit to making expensive home retrofits or participating in the FCNRP. Help them find the components of your program that are accessible to them and will make an impact for their home.

8. What is your favourite of aspect of the FireSmart BC website? The amount of valuable information! It feels easy to get people connected with a meaningful resource hub by sending them to the FS BC website.

1. Where do you live and what geographical area do you cover?  I live in Fort St John, and our program covers the Peace River Regional District, which is the largest regional district at 119,200 km2.

2. How long have you been an LFR? I’ve been an LFR for 2 years.

3. What made you decide that you wanted to be an LFR and support homeowners and neighbourhoods on how to become FireSmart?Working on wildfires for 14 seasons between Canada and Australia, I have seen firsthand how being proactive and managing fuels can keep communities, homeowners and firefighters safe. The lightbulb moment for me was in 2017 when I was scouting a line to construct a dozer guard behind homes, I came across a property which had lamas, sheep and goats. They had grazed the understory so well that we didn’t need to construct a guard at all. The portion of the fire that had been managed by the animals required almost no firefighting. I love getting the opportunity to empower homeowners to manage their own wildfire risk. FireSmart is literally a smarter way to fight fire!

4. What would you say are your 2 biggest challenges as an LFR ? In our Peace Region, the distances can be a challenge. It’s normal to drive 2-4 hours to do an event or assessment. Last year we drove the equivalent of across Canada and back delivering the program. We have improved at scheduling our assessments and events so that we get the most out of our trips. 

Finding champions and volunteers can also be a challenge. With the season being so short, there are only so many snow-free weekends in a year and people’s time is so valuable to them. We have found that existing societies and associations are a great place to find proactive people that care about the community. 

5. What are some of your successes with the FireSmart program? Each year we have completed 100 property assessments. We had our first recognized neighborhood last year in One Island Lake, and we are expecting to add a couple more this year. We have also been assessing and mitigating critical infrastructure in the region with 10 sites mitigated this year. 

6. What has been your favourite project/event you have done with your local FireSmart Program? Our Wildland Urban Interface training event in the North Peace was really rewarding. We had three local fire departments, along with BCWS crews working on a “mock” fire at the Tse'K'wa Heritage Society archaeological site. The event focused on developing interagency relationships while sharing tactics, knowledge and tools for the WUI environment. A fuel free that was constructed as part of the event is now being developed as an access trail for visitors with limited mobility. The heritage society gave the firefighters a tour of the cave at the end of the event. It amazing to learn about the Dunne-za and the cultural heritage of the area. I was really excited that the event turned out to be advantageous to all parties!

7. What advice would you give to other LFR’s? I would say get outside! Everything good in the program seems to come from being outside, shaking hands and networking. It’s easy for people to scroll past a Facebook post or ignore an email, but when you meet people face to face, you can have a lasting impact and develop relationships that can really move the program ahead. It does take time. 

My favorite quote is: “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step” Lao Tzu 

8. What is your favourite of aspect of the FireSmart BC website ?

I would say hands down the LFR of the Month. Lol 

I use the resource in the LFR den all the time. It’s nice to have on hand, and you know that it’s always up to date. 

9. Craig – you shared with FireSmart BC how you utilized the 2022 FireSmart BC Spring Summer Campaign – what did you do? How did it go?  I really liked FireSmartBC’s campaign this year. I thought the ads were fun and gave people real feedback on how their actions affect their fire risk, so we decided to take the idea and run with it. 

For our preparedness days, we built four fire danger rating signs and had them attached to posters showing properties with different wildfire hazards and others with mitigated hazards. All the kids that attended our events had a passport that got stamped when they moved the needle on the signs to reflect the hazard in the poster. Once they had their four stamps (spelling FIRE) they received an ice cream from the Ember freezer. It was really fun and engaging for the kids and helped us reach a lot of parents.