Penticton FireSmart

Ember Stomp 2023

The City of Penticton is located in a wildfire prone area and has contended with wildland urban interface fires. With some easy steps, you can protect your home from wildfire.

The Penticton FireSmart team is dedicated to reducing wildfire risk to properties and homes through public education. The goal of FireSmart is to empower homeowners to increase their resilience to wildfire on their properties and in their communities.

Sign up for a Free FireSmart Home Assessment

How would you like a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist to come to your home and provide a free assessment of your property? They will prepare a report with tips for how to make your property more likely to survive a wildfire.

Book your free assessment today

How to Make Your Home FireSmart

Sparks and embers can be thrown up to 2 km ahead of a wildfire. These can ignite materials on or near your home, which can be potentially devastating. These FireSmart guidelines will help you create a defensible space around your home, minimizing your fire risk.

A FireSmart Home Assessment will provide you with the necessary information about the wildfire hazards that currently exist on your home and property, and help to identify specific actions needed to reduce wildfire risks.

Request a free FireSmart Home Assessment

Request a FireSmart Home Assessment

Apply for a free FireSmart Home Assessment and have a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist provide you with an in-depth, on site assessment, and a detailed follow up report with customized mitigation actions designed to measurably reduce the wildfire risk. This assessment provides an opportunity for home and property owners to earn a FireSmart Home Partners certificate, which is given upon completion of required mitigation actions and an onsite follow up inspection. This type of recognition can be used to enhance real estate transactions, and can also be shared with local insurance providers to showcase mitigation activities and potentially increase a homeowner’s ability to maintain insurance coverage.

Note: FireSmart Canada does not share the assessment or any details of the assessment with the insurance industry.

Complete a FireSmart Home Assessment yourself

FireSmart Home Assessment PDF

Wanting to get a quick idea of your home’s risk to wildfire? Download the PDF and score each section to see how your home measures up. Want some advice on how to complete your home assessment? Watch the following video of Penticton’s Fire Chief conduct a FireSmart Home Assessment.

FireSmart Home Assessment from FireSmartBC on Vimeo.
The FireSmart Zone is the area around your home. When completing FireSmart actions on your property, start at your home and work your way outwards. Changes made to the area closest to your home and your home itself will have the greatest impact on reducing the risk of wildfire damage. Download your copy of the FireSmart Homeowner's Manual to use as reference.

Also review the zones below for important tips.
This should be a fire-resistant zone, free of all materials that could easily ignite from wildfire.

Did you know? Coniferous trees are highly flammable (evergreen trees with cones and needles, such as spruce, pine, cedar and fir). Deciduous (leafy) trees such as maple, poplar, aspen and birch are much less flammable. Evergreen trees with cones are highly flammable and should not be within 10 metres of your home.
- Check for ignition points in around your home and yard. Prune your shrubs, removing all dead branches. De-limb trees up to 2-3 metres from the ground. If branches are hanging over your roof, trim them back.
- Remove debris that is easily ignited by sparks and embers. This includes dead pine needles: Keep them off your roof, out of your gutters and away from the foundation of your house.
- Firewood piles should be at least 10 metres from your home.
- Keep your lawn mowed and watered.
- If you’re replacing your roof, choose a Class A or fire-resistant product. Your roof is the most vulnerable part of your house in a wildfire because of its large size and its susceptibility to flying embers.
Download the FireSmart Homeowner's Manual to use as a home reference.
- Thin and prune coniferous trees to reduce hazards in this area.
- Regularly clean up accumulations of fallen branches, dry grass and needles from the ground to eliminate possible surface fuels.
- Prune tree branches within 2 metres of the ground.
Did you know? Radiant heat from a wildfire can melt vinyl siding, ignite your home and even break windows. Extreme heat can come from flames within 30 metres of your home.

Download the FireSmart Homeowner's Manual to use as a home reference.
Are you interested in clearing your property from potential fuel such as shrubbery and other flammable debris? Contact the Penticton Fire Department to apply for your free FireSmart Burning Permit.

This purpose of the FireSmart Burning Permit is to promote the removal of fuel from wildland and urban interface properties. The permit is issued for a specific period and for a specific site.

There is no cost for the permit. After applying for the permit, a site inspection will be completed by the Fire Department’s Fire Prevention Division. If the permit is approved, burning can occur during the period specified.

Contact the Penticton Fire Department by phoning 250-490-2300 or email fire@penticton.ca.

3 Easy Ways to Assess Your Home

In the time it takes to make yourself a coffee, you could be assessing your property for potential fire risks. It’s that easy. Here are some ways to get started.

Did you know that Penticton’s FireSmart community representative can conduct an on-site assessment of your home – for free? They will inspect your home and create a report with steps you can take.

Email fire@penticton.ca to contact the Fire Department to arrange your assessment.

Also scroll down below for information about how your neighbourhood can become a recognized FireSmart Community.

FireSmart Videos

Remember Your 3 Ps

Prepare, Plan and Practice. Find out more about each of the steps below.

Prepare for any emergency or potential evacuation. Visit our Emergency Preparedness page for full details.

Ensure you know your evacuation route. Have two ways out and know the location of your community's official reception centre. (Penticton Reception Center is located at the Community Centre, 325 Power St.)

Also, prepare your 72-hour emergency supply kit. This includes food and water for at least 72 hours. Get the full list!
Think about removing combustables away from the property. Plan for your family’s evacuations in the event of a fire. Also plan your Home Evacuation Checklist.

Plan where you’ll be monitoring the latest news updates if a wildfire occurs. Here are some places to bookmark in advance.
- City of Penticton's Emergency Updates page and Wildfire Updates page.
- Subscribe for email updates from the City of Penticton.
- Download the City of Penticton app for updates straight to your cellphone (available from Google Play or the App Store).
- Follow the City of Penticton's Facebook page and Twitter feed.
- Follow Penticton Fire Department’s Twitter updates: @pentictonfire.
- For information about the status of the wildfire, please look to the BC Wildfire Service. Check Facebook (@BCForestFireInfo, Twitter (@BCGovFireInfo) or simply download the BC Wildfire Service app on Google Play or the App Store.
Practice when to leave. You’ll leave as soon as evacuation is recommended by fire officials.

Practice keeping your emergency supply kit fresh and current, batteries, food, medications, etc.

Practice your escape routes – and what to do if you get trapped.

Practice your evacuation preparation steps.

Practice checking social media for current information, including @cityofpenticton, @pentictonfire and @bcgovfireinfo.

Community Wildfire Protection Plan (CWPP)

Penticton is located in a fire-prone environment. The goal of Penticton's CWPP is to strengthen and maintain our community's resilience to wildfire.

Read Penticton's CWPP

Are you interested in learning more about Penticton's fire risk and fire history? Check out the maps below.

COMING SOON: Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan (CWRP)

Coming soon!

Community Wildfire Resiliency Plans (CWRPs) are the next generation of CWPPs. A partnership between the BC FireSmart Committee and the BC Wildfire Service has allowed for the development of a framework for the CWRP. The goals of the CWRP are to:

Increase communities' capactiy and understanding of wildfire risk,
Foster greater collaboration across administrative boundaries,
Be more responsive to different types of communities throughout British Columbia, and
Develop achievable and accountable action items.

Stay tuned for the updated CWRP!

Additional Resources

Here are some key documents you can download to help assess your property.

FireSmart Begins at Home Manual

FireSmart Home Ignition Zone Poster

FireSmart Landscaping Guide

Last-Minute Wildfire Evacuation Checklist

Become a Recognized FireSmart Community

Create Your Family Communication Plan

Also visit the following websites:
- FireSmart BC
- FireSmart Canada
The following websites have valuable tips and information.
For the latest information about the wildland/fire danger rating, check out the BC Fire Danger webpage.

Have Questions?

Penticton FireSmart
Phone: 250-490-2318
Email: firesmart@penticton.ca
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Penticton Fire Department
Phone: 250-490-2300
Email: fire@penticton.ca
250 Nanaimo Avenue West, Penticton, BC, V2A 1N5

Report a Wildfire

To report a wildfire or inappropriate behaviour that could start a wildfire, call BC Wildfire Service at 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 from a cellphone.

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