FireSmart™ returns to the SLRD for 2025

Pemberton, BC – Building upon the momentum of last year’s initiatives, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is once again offering the FireSmart™ program to help residents prepare and protect their properties against the threat of wildfire.

The SLRD’s FireSmart program is available to SLRD residents, providing free initiatives and activities developed to assist with wildfire mitigation and preparedness efforts.

The FireSmart program focuses on homeowner education, emergency preparedness, and practical steps that make properties more resilient to wildfire. These actions include cleaning roofs and gutters, spacing vegetation, or removing fuel sources near buildings. The SLRD’s program also helps connect residents with FireSmart BC resources, including the Landscaping Hub, which features information about fire-resistant plants, participating local nurseries, tips on how to create a FireSmart landscape, and a last-minute checklist for protecting your home and property from wildfire.

Each year, the SLRD FireSmart program organizes and hosts free community events such as education days and vegetation clean-up days to engage with the public and distribute FireSmart information. Communities in the SLRD who wish to host a FireSmart event this year can coordinate a group of five to 10 neighbours to get started.

In 2024, the SLRD saw historic levels of community participation and engagement across all four Electoral Areas, with a substantial increase in residential FireSmart assessments, the expansion of the FireSmart Canada Neighbourhood Recognition program, and a range of community-focussed events that supported wildfire risk reduction. The program reached more than 200 residential properties in 2024 – representing a nearly 185 per cent increase in home assessments over the previous year.

“Everyone has a role to play in reducing wildfire risk,” said Jen Ford, SLRD Board Chair. “FireSmart assessments are a practical and proactive way for homeowners to understand their risk and take meaningful action. We’ve seen great success with this program in the SLRD, and all of this work, supported by the Protective Services department and the FireSmart team, benefits the entire region. We are grateful to everyone who continues to support these efforts by participating in this valuable program.”

In 2025 the SLRD FireSmart Rebate Program will return to provide financial assistance to homeowners who complete FireSmart mitigation work based on recommendations provided through a free home assessment conducted by a formally trained mitigation specialist. Detailed information about eligible activities and application requirements will be posted to the SLRD's website soon.

May 3, 2025, is National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day. This annual campaign encourages individuals and communities across Canada to proactively increase their wildfire resilience at home and in their neighbourhood. Celebrate the day by completing FireSmart activities, connecting with neighbours about emergency preparedness, and ensuring household plans are in place before wildfire season begins.

While FireSmart work is essential, so is planning ahead. The SLRD has helpful preparedness resources that can be downloaded for easy access:
•    FireSmart Begins at Home Guide
•    FireSmart Last-Minute Checklist
•    Sign up for the SLRD Alert emergency notification system

Residents of the SLRD can book a free FireSmart assessment with a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist, and find out more about hosting a FireSmart event, by emailing firesmart@slrd.bc.ca or phoning 604-384-7323. To learn more about the program, visit the SLRD FireSmart page at www.slrd.bc.ca/FireSmart. 

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About the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District
Located in southwestern BC, the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) is a local government federation consisting of four member municipalities (the District of Lillooet, the District of Squamish, the Village of Pemberton and the Resort Municipality of Whistler) and four unincorporated, rural electoral areas (A, B, C, and D). Headquartered in Pemberton, which is the approximate geographic centre of the region, the SLRD delivers a wide range of local, regional and sub-regional services to approximately 50,496 residents (2021 Census as certified by the Minister of Municipal Affairs).

The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District is found within the traditional territories of several First Nations, including the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), St'át'imc and Líl̓wat. Small parts of the SLRD also overlap with the traditional territories of the Stó:lō, Tsleil-Waututh, Nlaka'pamux, Tsilhqot'in, and Secwepemc Nations. While the SLRD does not provide direct services to the residents of the First Nations communities located within the region, the organization is committed to enhancing relations with the Indigenous communities and First Nations within whose territories the SLRD operates.