What is the difference between fire risk assessments?
With the Thompson-Okanagan region being prone to wildfires, it’s important for anyone who owns a property in this area to proactively reduce their fire risk.
Fortunately, there are various resources available to assess the risk of ignition for homes, ranches, and businesses, and these assessments allow property owners to begin taking the appropriate steps to mitigate any concerns.
In addition to completing a self-assessment, property owners can receive an assessment from a Local FireSmart Representative (LFR), the FireSmart BC Home Partners Program (HPP), or SparkProof.
What is a self-assessment?
FireSmart BC has developed a Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) self-assessment tool, which is available online for free. This is a great resource for homeowners to gain a basic understanding of their property’s resilience to wildfires.
What is a Local FireSmart Representative assessment?
LFRs are trained to understand the current wildland urban interface concepts and wildfire hazard assessments, and they are equipped to help communities get involved in FireSmart programs.
These representatives also have the ability to perform free neighbourhood and home assessments, which are done using a FireSmart HIZ assessment form. While they can provide some guidance, these assessments are unable to provide specific recommendations for mitigation measures.
What is the FireSmart BC Home Partners Program?
The HPP offers on-site assessments that identify a property’s defenses and the recommended actions to reduce wildfire risk. These professional assessments, which take between two and four hours, actively involve the property owner and a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist (WMS).
While these assessments provide the opportunity to become eligible for insurance incentives and discounts, the HPP is only available in select communities that are funded by the Union of BC Municipalities.
What is a SparkProof assessment?
SparkProof provides a comprehensive written report with photos of hazards and detailed prescriptions of how to reduce the risk of ignition for properties throughout the Thompson-Okanagan region.
Our team of caring and trustworthy professionals take the time to understand each client and property to ensure we discuss, develop, and execute a fire risk reduction plan that meets a person’s usage, location, family, and business needs.
Following our assessment, we develop a detailed plan to implement wildfire reduction strategies. We indicate which strategies can be undertaken by the property owner and which ones require further assistance from SparkProof or government agencies, and we provide the appropriate contact information to ensure the plan can be properly executed in an actionable timeline.
On top of our own designations and certifications, the assessors at SparkProof have taken all of the necessary training to align and support FireSmart BC and FireSmart Canada’s efforts and risk reduction principles.
We encourage you to prepare your property for this year’s wildfire season by contacting us today.