Squamish-Lillooet Regional District FireSmart™ Program Delivers Strong Results in 2025

Pemberton, BC – The Squamish-Lillooet Regional District (SLRD) has shared details and information about their progress in wildfire mitigation and public education efforts following the completion of the 2025 SLRD Regional FireSmart Program, a grant-funded regional wildfire mitigation and public education project that took place from January to December 2025.

With support from the Union of BC Municipalities’ Community Resiliency Investment program, the SLRD delivered a range of initiatives in 2025 to reduce wildfire risk and increase community resilience across all four Electoral Areas. The $600,000 grant funded the continuation of public education programming, free home assessments and financial rebates for property owners undertaking FireSmart mitigation work within the SLRD.

“Wildfire preparedness is a shared responsibility, and we are heartened to see so many communities in our region come together to make their neighbourhoods more resilient to the risk of wildfire,” said Jen Ford, SLRD Board Chair. “The success of the FireSmart program reflects the commitment of residents, neighbourhoods and the SLRD’s FireSmart team who are working hard and taking meaningful action to reduce the very real risks we face every wildfire season. These proactive efforts strengthen our entire region and help ensure we are as prepared as we can be.”

In 2025, 116 new FireSmart home assessments were conducted and 42 rebates totalling $75,665 were issued to residents who completed eligible mitigation activities. These improvements included upgrades to windows, siding and roofing materials, as well as the removal of vegetation and other wildfire fuel sources near structures and access routes. 

The FireSmart team participated in public events, including local farmers’ markets, the Pemberton Wildfire Preparedness Day, the Squamish Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, Pemberton Slow Food Cycle, Seton’s annual community event, and the Bridge River Valley Trade Show.

Between April and November each year, the SLRD FireSmart program organizes and hosts community education and wildfire risk reduction events in communities throughout the SLRD. In 2025, the FireSmart team hosted 15 events in the region. 

Vegetation debris disposal initiatives were also supported in Electoral Areas A, B and D to help residents reduce hazardous fuel on their properties. Get more information on how to book a community event and learn about funding opportunities on the FireSmart Community Events page on the SLRD website. 

Eight neighbourhoods achieved FireSmart Canada Neighbourhood Recognition status in 2025, including Marshall Valley, Lajoie Lake, Tyaughton Lake, Pavilion Lake, Birkenhead Lake Estates, Lillooet Lake Estates, Ponderosa Estates, and Pinecrest and Black Tusk. These recognitions reflect coordinated neighbourhood-level efforts to reduce wildfire risk and strengthen local preparedness.

In addition to residential initiatives, the 2025 FireSmart program supported broader community resilience measures. Acquisition of another phase of a Structure Protection Unit for Electoral Area D marked progress toward the four-phase initiative. In Electoral Area A, the retrofit of the Bralorne pumphouse with fire-resistant siding to enhance protection of essential water delivery infrastructure was also completed in 2025.

In 2025, the SLRD Board adopted a new bylaw designed to increase community resiliency to wildfire hazards by addressing landscaping practices near buildings and structures. The Wildfire Landscaping Management Bylaw No. 1925-2025, in effect in Electoral Areas A, B, C, and D, provides direction on the installation of new landscaping and the maintenance of existing landscaping to help reduce wildfire hazard. This new bylaw complements the existing Wildfire Protection Development Permit Areas (DPAs) by providing regulations for landscaping on properties where building permits are not required.

Building on this momentum, the SLRD secured $800,000 in additional grant funding in January 2026 to continue FireSmart initiatives in the region through 2026 and 2027. Programming will once again include free home assessments, rebate opportunities and community education events across all Electoral Areas. A new programming stream is also being developed to support agricultural communities in enhancing their wildfire preparedness.

The SLRD Board received a detailed report summarizing the 2025 FireSmart Program at the February 25, 2025 Board meeting.

The SLRD’s website has helpful FireSmart resources that can be downloaded for easy access:

• FireSmart Begins at Home Guide
• FireSmart Last-Minute Checklist
• Agricultural Emergency Preparedness
• Sign up for the SLRD Alert emergency notification system

The SLRD FireSmart team is now making bookings for early spring 2026. Residents of the SLRD can book their free FireSmart assessment with a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist and find out more about hosting a FireSmart event in their community by emailing firesmart@SLRD.bc.ca or phoning 604-384-7323. To learn more about the program, visit the SLRD FireSmart page at SLRD.bc.ca/FireSmart.