FireSmart In District 13

The FireSmart Program is an incredibly important piece of the safety puzzle for District 13, and it begins with residents themselves. 

Homeowners, neighborhoods and communities can ask for a FireSmart assessment, and Halifax Regional Fire has a dedicated Wildfire Mitigation Program Manager to assist and facilitate communities moving towards FireSmart recognition.

In District 13, there is much work to be done. Below is a graphic representing where FireSmart community assessments have been completed:

There are many communities (Brookside, East Dover, Allen Heights to name a few), that need volunteers to head up FireSmart initiatives in their area. Be a hero and get a FireSmart program started in your community, and get a home assessment to do your part in mitigating wildfires. Nova Scotia could be in for an extreme fire season due to a dry fall, and every household in District 13 should play a part in being prepared.

Several communities (including Mason's Point and Lake of the Woods) have identified challenges in wildfire mitigation, specifically the difficulty in disposing of understory and vegetative debris from clean ups. Having better tools for park maintenance was also identified by HRM Urban Forestry, and are interested in utilizing technology like BioBurn to help with debris, as well as wood chippers.  I brought up the issue at the solid waste regional chairs committee meeting, where others had also expressed similar challenges and interests across the province. Although in its early stages, I look forward to bringing better tools to both communities and HRM staff as we work towards fire safety best practices.

If you are interested in initiating a FireSmart assessment for your home or community, please reach out! I'd love to get that arranged for you.