Wildfire preparedness

• Choose non-combustible building materials when constructing or renovating.

• Clear vegetation and combustible material down to mineral soil and cover with non-combustible materials like gravel, brick or concrete.
• Avoid planting woody shrubs or trees. If any are present, prune or maintain them regularly.

• Remove combustible items like firewood piles, construction materials, tools and decorative pieces.
• Create a non-combustible ground cover, like a gravel pad, underneath and 1.5 metres around trailers, recreational vehicles, and sheds.

• Selectively remove evergreen trees to create at least 3 metres of horizontal space between the single or grouped tree crowns.
• Remove all branches to a height of 2 metres from the ground.
• Regularly clean up accumulations of fallen branches, dry grass and needles to eliminate potential surface fuels.

The Township is reducing the risk of wildfires by planning, preparing and educating the community. Learn more about our Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan.

By making some strategic choices in your yard, you can increase the wildfire resiliency of your property. Learn more in the FireSmart BC Landscaping Hub.

Fire embers may seem small, but they shouldn't be underestimated – 50% of home fires caused by wildfires are started by sparks and embers.

Planting and landscape design

• Choose fire-resistant plants which don't provide significant fuel or increase fire intensity (e.g. deciduous rather than evergreen trees).
• Plant trees and shrubs away from buildings to ensure branches don't touch or hang over roofs and keep eventual mature sizes in mind.
• Space plantings and trees to avoid fire jumping from one to the next.
• Keep a well-maintained lawn; green grass shorter than 10 centimetres is less likely to burn intensely.
• Use decorative rocks, pathways and retaining walls.
• Include ponds and streams in your landscape design.
• Use gravel or rocks in your landscaping rather than flammable bark, evergreen needles, or other plant-based mulches.

Maintenance

Regular maintenance and cleaning the corners and crevices of your home and yard where needles and debris build up will leave nothing for embers to ignite.

• Trim back plants and keep them away from your buildings.
• Remove dead plant material (whole plants, or branches and leaves from living plants).
• Keep roofs and gutters clear of branches and leaves.
• Keep a tidy lawn – fires travel less quickly across trimmed grass.
• Prune low tree branches so they're at least 2 metres from the ground.
• Keep all plants healthy – unhealthy plants are a greater fire risk.
• Don't pile dead material near buildings.

Plant flammability

What makes a plant fire-resistant?

• Moist, supple leaves (ignite and burn slower).
• Little dead wood or accumulated dead material.
• Open branching habits (less fuel for fire).
• Fewer total branches and leaves (less fuel for fire).
• Have a slow growing habit (less pruning required).
• Water-like sap with little or no odour.
• Low amount of sap or resin material.

Check your readiness with the HIZ Self Assessment | FireSmart BC.

The Township of Langley Fire Department offers FireSmart Home Ignition Zone Assessments to residents in applicable areas who are interested in learning how to improve the resiliency of their homes in the event of wildfire.

How to book

To find out if your property is in the applicable area, please email PSCaptainPrev@tol.ca. An email will be sent to confirm your appointment.

During the assessment

During a FireSmart Home Assessment, a local FireSmart representative will visit your home and provide recommendations on how to help reduce the risk of wildfire on your property.

You will receive a FireSmart Home Assessment identifying ways you can make your property FireSmart. Building construction types and materials, landscaping around homes, and the presence of combustible materials will be included in the assessment.