David McIlwraith, FireSmart coordinator for the Sunshine Coast Regional District, delivered a top-notch talk March 10 at St Bart’s Church, sharing how to protect homes and gardens from fire destruction. Neighbours and parishioners got the low-down on everything from how wildfire sparks enter buildings to the problem with growing ornamental hedges, as well as how native plantings can help protect us from losing everything in a fire. Start with Zone 1, the 10-metre area surrounding your house.
St Bart’s is one year in on a restorative project to replace the entire garden property with indigenous plants and FireSmart is key. The FireSmart team has given St Bart’s a free assessment tour of the property so we know just what to do.
David also explained that anyone, from Earls Cove to Port Mellon and the Howe Sound islands, can book a valuable grounds assessment with him or one of his FireSmart team. And it’s free!
Thanks to the federal Wildfire Community Preparedness grant, St Bart’s will host a big event early this summer—the first annual FireSmart Barbecue, with information tables, sales and give-aways, even a hook-and-ladder visit from our own Gibsons Fire Department—we hope!
Let’s make Gibsons one of the first FireSmart communities in Canada! Did we mention that the personal assessment of your own property is free? Get in line quickly though—the FireSmart team is getting booked up already.
