Sooke FireSmart Program

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British Columbia has experienced unprecedented wildfire seasons in recent years. The changing climate, higher temperatures and drought conditions are all leading causes of aggressive fire behaviour and longer wildfire seasons. Living in a fire-prone ecosystem means we must implement wildfire mitigation strategies to reduce our wildfire risk and protect our community.

Fires on the coast can be vigorous especially in steep/difficult terrain and/or in drought-stricken areas. Lightning storms and water shortages are becoming more common during the summer months and impact both fire behaviour and response operations on the coast.

Preparing for the threat of wildfire is a shared responsibility from homeowners, to businesses to government. We all have the responsibility to reduce our risk and increase our wildfire resiliency.

What is the Risk? The Wildfire Risk Framework used in BC supports initiatives related to wildfire risk reduction. The largest threat to Sooke is wildfire as our community is currently classified in the highest risk category.

This framework measures risk and considers the likelihood of a wildfire event, community consequences, and impacts to high-value resources and assets. By identifying these risk levels, we can prioritize mitigation efforts and increase community resiliency to wildfire.

What is the Structure Ignition Problem? Many homeowners falsely assume there is no wildfire threat to their home and property if not directly on the forest’s edge or in contact with flames. Embers and burning debris can easily travel up to two kilometers ahead of a wildfire and ignite materials on or near your home. This can cause severe damage or total home loss.

Most homes destroyed during a wildfire event are from embers, and surface fires that have not yet reached the crown of the trees. Once homes or adjacent materials begin burning, these residential fuels burn at a higher intensity. The fire will then continue to spread rapidly throughout the community igniting multiple structures simultaneously through direct flame, radiant heat, and casting of shorter ranged embers. No longer influenced by the original wildfire, this urban fire will continue to burn residential fuels and flammable materials.

What is FireSmart? Being FireSmart is about living and co-existing with wildfires because it’s not a matter of if, but when. It’s a tool designed to reduce the likelihood of large uncontrollable, high intensity wildfires within the Wildland Urban Interface.

Recent science and studies have shown that overtime, FireSmart principles can significantly reduce the risk related to losses in the most extreme wildfire conditions. Laboratory testing, physical modeling and recent wildfire events have increased our understanding of structural ignitions and fire behaviour such as radiant heat transfer and the flammability of different building materials.


British Columbia has experienced unprecedented wildfire seasons in recent years. The changing climate, higher temperatures and drought conditions are all leading causes of aggressive fire behaviour and longer wildfire seasons. Living in a fire-prone ecosystem means we must implement wildfire mitigation strategies to reduce our wildfire risk and protect our community.

Fires on the coast can be vigorous especially in steep/difficult terrain and/or in drought-stricken areas. Lightning storms and water shortages are becoming more common during the summer months and impact both fire behaviour and response operations on the coast.

Preparing for the threat of wildfire is a shared responsibility from homeowners, to businesses to government. We all have the responsibility to reduce our risk and increase our wildfire resiliency.

What is the Risk? The Wildfire Risk Framework used in BC supports initiatives related to wildfire risk reduction. The largest threat to Sooke is wildfire as our community is currently classified in the highest risk category.

This framework measures risk and considers the likelihood of a wildfire event, community consequences, and impacts to high-value resources and assets. By identifying these risk levels, we can prioritize mitigation efforts and increase community resiliency to wildfire.

What is the Structure Ignition Problem? Many homeowners falsely assume there is no wildfire threat to their home and property if not directly on the forest’s edge or in contact with flames. Embers and burning debris can easily travel up to two kilometers ahead of a wildfire and ignite materials on or near your home. This can cause severe damage or total home loss.

Most homes destroyed during a wildfire event are from embers, and surface fires that have not yet reached the crown of the trees. Once homes or adjacent materials begin burning, these residential fuels burn at a higher intensity. The fire will then continue to spread rapidly throughout the community igniting multiple structures simultaneously through direct flame, radiant heat, and casting of shorter ranged embers. No longer influenced by the original wildfire, this urban fire will continue to burn residential fuels and flammable materials.

What is FireSmart? Being FireSmart is about living and co-existing with wildfires because it’s not a matter of if, but when. It’s a tool designed to reduce the likelihood of large uncontrollable, high intensity wildfires within the Wildland Urban Interface.

Recent science and studies have shown that overtime, FireSmart principles can significantly reduce the risk related to losses in the most extreme wildfire conditions. Laboratory testing, physical modeling and recent wildfire events have increased our understanding of structural ignitions and fire behaviour such as radiant heat transfer and the flammability of different building materials.


  • Did You Know (Wildfire Risk Rating)?

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    Did you know Sooke is amongst the highest ranked communities at risk to wildfire in BC?

    This risk class rating is determined by the Wildfire Risk Framework used in the province to help support initiatives related to wildfire risk reduction.

    The framework considers the likelihood of an unwanted wildfire event, consequences for community, high-value resources, and assets, as a measure of risk. By identifying these risk levels, we can prioritize mitigation efforts and increase community resiliency.

  • Nohomin Wildfire

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    Discovered yesterday, the Nohomin Creek fire is approximately 1.7 km northwest of Lytton on the west side of the Fraser River. It has displayed more active fire behaviour and is about 800 hectares in size. This fire has grown and is now a Wildfire of Note. Read more here:

    https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/evacuation-orders-alerts-issued-as-wildfire-crews-continue-to-battle-blaze-near-lytton-b-c-1.6521221?fbclid=IwAR0Y36IgTROijnG2E0jfEkWHjRQIR8wRyRKHZ7cDe1L8I9EgMGu6RboxRV0

    Be Prepared. Get FireSmart. Stay Informed.

  • Wildfire Preparedness Guide

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    Take time right now to learn how to prepare your household, protect your property, and understand what to do if a wildfire comes close to our community. Remember to make an emergency plan, build your grab-and-go bags, know your insurance coverage, protect your property by becoming FireSmart, and always follow instructions when an emergency bulletin is issued from the District of Sooke.

    Review the Wildfire Preparedness Guide here: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/public-safety-and-emergency-services/emergency-preparedness-response-recovery/embc/preparedbc/preparedbc-guides/wildfire_preparedness_guide.pdf

  • Tricia Thorpe Shares Their Story

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    Listen to Tricia Thorpe share her story about losing her home and property last summer to the Lytton fire. This was the reality of so many homeowners living in the Wildland Urban Interface zone.

    Sooke is within the Wildland Urban Interface zone where we are at a greater risk of a devastating wildfire. Learn how you can protect your home, property, and community at https://firesmartbc.ca/ today.

    Listen here: https://vimeo.com/728890259 embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=93909388

  • BC Prepares for Potential Wildfire this Summer

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    There are more than 1,600 wildfires in British Columbia every year. While each year is different, decades of fire suppression and the effects of climate change are contributing to more frequent, larger, and more severe wildfires.

    Learn how British Columbia is preparing for potential wildfire this summer here: https://prescribedfire.ca/how-british-columbia-is-preparing-for-potential-wildfire-this-summer/

  • Lytton Fire Report

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    The Lytton Fire, also known as the Lytton Creek Fire, was a wildfire that destroyed the community on June 30, 2021. More than 520 buildings burned, 32 000 people evacuated, two people lost their lives, and hundred of residents remain displaced.

    The rapid fire spread in Lytton was a result of not only highly vulnerable ignition conditions within home ignition zones but also overlapping zones with neighbouring properties. It has been exactly one year since this devastating event and there are learning we can all take away from this tragedy.

    What happened to Lytton could happen again to other communities here in BC. Wildland Urban fire disasters are a structure ignition problem. Becoming FireSmart is a proven solution to reduce our wildfire risk and build community resiliency.

    Be prepared. Get FireSmart. Stay Informed.

    Learn more and find the full Lytton Fire Report here: https://firesmartbc.ca/learnings-from-the-lytton-fire-report/

  • Coastal Fire Centre Actioning Eight New Spot Fires

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    The Coastal Fire Centre is currently actioning eight new spot fires from a lightning storm this morning on Tuesday, June 28, 2022.

    Two are located in the Fraser Valley (one East of Mission, one North of Agassiz), four in the Bella Coola Valley region, one on North Vancouver Island and one on the Sunshine Coast.

    It’s important that we are prepared for this wildfire season. That we all become FireSmart and stay informed.

    Read the following Information Bulletin for more details: http://bcfireinfo.for.gov.bc.ca/hprScripts/WildfireNews/DisplayArticle.asp?ID=3598


  • A FireSmart Home Assessment Could Save Your Home

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    A FireSmart Home Assessment could save your home. Learn how here: https://vimeo.com/485569970?embedded=true&source=vimeo_logo&owner=93909388

    All Sooke residents who book a free FireSmart Home Assessment by July 2, 2022, will have a CHANCE TO WIN a WASP Wildfire Protection Kit or FireSmart Gardening Kit.

    Book an assessment today to enter: https://calendly.com/sooke/firesmart?month=2022-05

  • Free FireSmart Chipping Event

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    Free FireSmart Chipping Event!

    Regular yard maintenance is essential to having a FireSmart home and property. Clearing and chipping branches and shrubs will help reduce your wildfire risk.

    In collaboration with Otter Point Fire Department and the CRD, Sooke residents are welcome to bring their branches and shrub trimmings to Camp Barnard at 3202 Young Lake Road this Saturday, June 25th from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

    ONLY tree branches, small woody shrubs and windfall branches will be accepted at this event and must be between 2.5 cm (1 inch) to 17 cm (7 inches) in size.

    Learn more about this event here: https://otterpointfire.bc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/CRD-FireSmart-Wood-Chipping-Poster-June-25-1-1.pdf

  • Wildfire Terminology

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    Being FireSmart is not only about being prepared but staying informed! It’s important that we are familiar with wildfire terminology used such as the Fire Danger Rating.

    The Fire Danger Rating can help predict wildfire ignitions, and behaviour such as spread and intensity. The danger class is based off many weather variables including temperature, relative humidity, wind speeds, and precipitation.

    Learn more about some of the most common terms here: https://www.theweathernetwork.com/ca/news/article/wildfire-terms-canadians-should-be-familiar-with-this-summer

Page last updated: 22 Apr 2024, 03:08 PM