10 Ways to Prepare for BC Wildfire Season

Summer is almost upon us, but before we kick all our worries aside and suit up for a summer by the lake, it’s time to remember that summer also comes at the heart of wildfire season. While the official start of wildfire season was in April, this spring has seen a subdued beginning due to a wetter, cooler spring. But experts say the summer will heat up and bring more activity. The probability of fiercer, more destructive fires in recent years has increased significantly.

With the slow start to wildfire season, there’s no better time to become aware of the fire danger in our community and start an early preparation.

Fire season is upon us. As temperatures heat up, wind becomes more present, and trees and grass dry out, our fire risk increases. There are four active fires, and the current annual fire count is reaching 159—most of which are human-caused. Here are some precautions you can take to mitigate your risk, especially if you live in an area that is more at risk than others:

1. Make a plan. A plan is how you and your household and family respond to a wildfire should it come close to you. It can include everything from preparing the house to your actions when a natural disaster arrives. Communicating this information with the ones you love beforehand can give you the confidence to navigate the day focused, calm, and ready.
2. Make a phone list and gather necessary documents. We never know when a disaster is going to hit. And with that, we don’t know how charged our phones will be and how long we will be able to communicate with those we love. Create a list of significant phone numbers and pack them in your go bag. Gather any important documents you don’t want to lose and make copies ahead of time. Pack them in your go bag to know you will have everything you need if you have to leave in a rush.
3. Pick a meeting place. You don’t know when a natural disaster will hit, so you don’t know where your loved ones will be—some at work, some at home. If you must evacuate the area to ensure public safety, pick a couple of meeting places. Your home can be the primary location, but if it is in an evacuation area, choose a couple of spots at different distances and directions to ensure no matter where the fire comes from, you will be able to find safety together.
4. Create grab-and-go bags. The good ol’ go bag. Pack a bag with everything you will need for an overnight stay. This can include a change of clothes, some toiletries, essential medications, important documents like insurance, chargers, flashlight, first aid kit, food, cash in small bills, water, and phone lists.
5. Research insurance coverage. Look at your home insurance and see the range for a fire. If you live in an at-risk area where fires are imminent threats, it might be best to consider a policy covering your assets. Contact us to learn more.
6. Protect your home. Knowing your fire zones and how to mitigate the spread of fire within those zones will help you protect the community by slowing the fire spread while also protecting your home. There are four zones: noncombustible, zone 1, zone 2, and zone 3. In each area, following certain rules will keep you safe, like using only noncombustible materials in the noncombustible zone.
7. Know your evacuation stages. Be familiar with the evacuation stages in British Columbia and what to do for each one. An alert means you are in the affected area. An order means you must leave immediately. A rescind means you can return home.
8. Follow instructions and stay connected to essential resources. Follow the instructions you receive from reliable community sources and know how to access them. For example, some locations affected by fires rely on a Twitter account to relay updates and information. Know how to receive updates and stay up to date on the fire.
9. Know how to operate utilities. There’s nothing quite like learning how to turn the gas off in your house for the first time while trying to escape a fire. Learn how to secure the utilities in your home before you are forced to learn in a pinch or not learn at all. It will make operating under pressure a lot easier.
10. Returning home. Don’t return home until you’ve received communication from the community that it is safe. Going home too early could be harmful to you and your loved ones.

The onset of a fire is unpredictable and, at best, chaotic. It’s nothing less than a huge curveball and interruption to our daily lives—in the short and long term. The consequences of a fire could mean we are putting our lives back together for months, or even a year. And while we can’t predict the exact date and time, wildfires will affect us and our loved ones. We can prepare for fire season and listen for the evacuation alert. And if being ready is all we can do, we must do it to care for ourselves, our loved ones, and our community.