POWELL RIVER, BC – The qathet Regional District (qRD) is pleased to announce the return of the Regional FireSmart Program for 2023.
This is the seventh consecutive year of the Regional FireSmart Program. With funding support from the Province of BC and Union of BC Municipalities’ Community Resiliency Investment Fund, the qRD is able to continue to offer education, training, and planning with the goal of mitigating the negative impacts from wildfires in our community.
Over the past three years, the FireSmart Program has helped over 300 residential property owners throughout all residential areas of the qRD with free FireSmart property advice and has provided over $25,000 in rebates.
The 2023 FireSmart program will see the same successful initiatives implemented in previous years and hopes that the number of residents utilizing the program continues to increase. “The FireSmart program saw great success in 2022”, said qRD’s Manager of Emergency Services, Ryan Thoms. “We met with residents interested in making FireSmart improvements to their properties and we were able to assist them in doing that.”
Residential property owners are encouraged to request a free FireSmart assessment for their property. Property owners may be eligible for a rebate of up to $1,000 for any FireSmart improvements made.
qathet’s FireSmart program is looking for champions to promote FireSmart in their neighbourhoods. Champions will receive free wildfire hazard assessment training and may be eligible to receive funding for neighbourhood scale events such as a FireSmart debris chipper day.
All residents need to be aware of the threat from fast spreading fires. FireSmarting our homes, properties, and neighbourhoods can greatly reduce the risk of damaging fires. Residents interested in information on how to make FireSmart improvements to their properties are encouraged to contact the qRD office or Regional FireSmart Coordinator, Marc Albert directly at firesmartpr@gmail.com.
About the qathet Regional District:
The qathet Regional District serves the rural areas from Lund to Saltery Bay including the City of Powell River, Texada, Savary and Lasqueti Islands and provides some services, through contract, to Tla’amin Nation. To learn more please visit qathet.ca.
CONTACT:
Ryan Thoms, Manager of Emergency Services
#202 – 4675 Marine Avenue
Powell River, BC V8A 2L2
Phone: 604-485-2260
Email: emergency@qathet.ca