The 2024 FireSmart Assessment Program has now concluded for the season. We do not have the capacity to book anymore FireSmart Home Assessments this year. You can still apply through the link below and you will be placed on a list to be contacted in May 2025 once the program starts again. In the meantime, if you have any questions please contact firesmart@kaslo.ca.
CLICK HERE TO BOOK YOUR 2025 FIRESMART HOME ASSESSMENT
Wildfire is a risk that all British Columbians need to be prepared for. But while that seems like a big task, FireSmart is here to help you get started and make proven steps toward protecting your home and your community from wildfire.
FireSmart is based on foundational scientific evidence that suggests changes to the built environment are the best and most cost-effective way to increase a home’s survivability from wildfire. FireSmart standards are adopted to decrease the likelihood of losses from wildfire events.
The Village of Kaslo facilitates FireSmart programming including Home Partners Program Home Assessments, rebate funding, support for creating FireSmart neighbourhoods, and works with several agencies and community groups including the local Fire Department, Community Forest, BC Wildfire Service, the Regional District of Central Kootenay and local FireSmart Neighbourhoods to ensure communities are safe and supported before, during, and after a wildfire event.
The FireSmart Booth at the 2023 Kaslo Jazz Etc. Festival, featuring the Kaslo FireSmart Youth Coordinator Kenya Blouin.
FireSmart Home Partners Program Assessment: 
Ember, the FireSmart Fox, saying "hi" at the 2023 Community FireSmart Day.
The RDCK and Village of Kaslo partner to offer FREE FireSmart Home Assessments by a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist through the Home Partners Program. A Wildfire Mitigation Specialist comes to your home and provides a detailed report including specific mitigation actions to help protect your home from wildfire. During the assessment, they will discuss wildfire behavior dynamics and the ways a wildfire could affect your home.
Click HERE for more information and to book a home assessment.
Earn a rebate of up to $5,000 for taking action to mitigate wildfire risk around your home and property.
Steps to apply for the rebate:
Step 1 - Get a free FireSmart home assessment from an RDCK Wildfire Mitigation Specialist by filling out the online application at rdck.ca/firesmart emailing firesmart@rdck.bc.ca or calling 250-352-1539. |
Step 2 – Work with your Wildfire Mitigation Specialist to complete a Rebate Work Plan. This is where you can plan out your FireSmart mitigation actions and have some feedback on how to prioritize your efforts. |
Step 3 - Take action on the recommendations from your FireSmart home assessment. This can be accomplished by yourself, with your neighbours, or using hired help. Use the table on the Rebate Application Form to keep track of both your personal hours as well as any money spent on contractors or materials. |
Step 4 - Submit your rebate application. Please note that rebate applications over $1000 will require a follow up visit from your Wildfire Mitigation Specialist. |
The FireSmart Rebate Guide can answer many common questions.
Neighbourhood Recognition Program
The Neighbourhood Recognition Program helps neighbours to organize and reduce the risk of wildfire damage for their whole community.
- A Wildfire Mitigation Specialist will provide wildfire hazard reduction information based on an overall assessment of your community.
- You and your neighbours form a Neighbourhood Committee and identify a Neighbourhood Champion, and make a plan to mitigate the wildfire hazards around you.
- FireSmart Canada recognizes your community efforts and grants your community FireSmart status.
At the end of your first year you can access the FireSmart Neighbourhood Champion Grant of up to $3,000 for the work done to mitigate the threat of wildfires in your neighbourhood. More information on the grant program click HERE.
For more information about FireSmart Neighbourhoods in Kaslo, please scroll down to the FireSmart Neighbourhood Recognition Program section near the bottom of the page.
FireSmart Landscaping
Ensuring your yard is FireSmart is an important part to keeping wildfires away from your door. See the FireSmart BC Landscaping Hub for everything related to landscaping.
See the Central Kootenay Invasive Species Society's EcoGarden Project to see which fire-resistant plants can grow in our area!
The FireSmart Banner made by the J.V. Humphries Grades 1-3 class, 2023
Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan
The Community Wildfire Resiliency Plan (CWRP) was finalized in the Spring of 2024. Read the plan here.
FireSmart Resources
Further FireSmart Resources
Emergency Prepardness: https://www.kaslo.ca/p/emergency-preparedness
RDCK FireSmart page (sign up for home assessments, get in contact, etc): https://rdck.ca/firesmart
FireSmart BC Website: https://firesmartbc.ca/
FireSmart 101 course (free online course that takes about 1 hr): https://firesmartcanada.ca/programs/firesmart-101/
FireSmart BC Home Owner’s Manual: https://homeowners-manual.firesmartbc.ca/
Wildfire Last Minute Checklist for Protecting your Home: https://firesmartbc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/07.31.24_Emergency-Wildfire-Preparedness-Checklist.pdf
FireSmart BC Landscaping Hub: https://firesmartbc.ca/landscaping-hub/
Central Kootenay Invasive Species Society EcoGarden Resource: https://ckiss.ca/ecogarden-project/
FireSmart BC Resource Library: https://firesmartbc.ca/resources/
Contact us via email at firesmart@kaslo.ca or on Facebook at Kaslo FireSmart.
The Kaslo FireSmart Committee
We are locals keen to help our community become wildfire resilient. The FireSmart Committee is a Village of Kaslo Working Group that works to implement FireSmart activities and education in Kaslo.
This is who we are:
Jessie Lay, Kaslo FireSmart Coordinator, Wildfire Mitigation Specialist for Kaslo and Area D, RDCK
Garret Fishlock, FireSmart Program Coordinator for the RDCK
John Cathro, FireSmart Advisor
John Addison, Kaslo FireSmart Neighbourhood Coordinator and Bayview FireSmart Neighbourhood Champion
Maggie Crowe, Pine Ridge FireSmart Neighbourhood Champion
Daniel Klein, BC Wildfire Service Prevention Officer
Grace Kyle, BC Wildfire Service Prevention Specialist
Heather Stark, Kaslo Outdoor Recreation and Trails Society (KORTS)
Jeff Reyden, Manager of the Kaslo and District Community Forest
Eric Graham, Chief of Kaslo Volunteer Fire Department
Doug Yee, Deputy Chief of Kaslo Volunteer Fire Department
See the Kaslo FireSmart social media pages for the latest updates on what we’re doing!
The Latest and Greatest from FireSmart BC:
Check out the FireSmart BC Magazine and listen to the Get FireSmart Podcast on Apple or Spotify. For updates, news and wildfire preparedness tips, make sure to follow follow FireSmart BC on Facebook, Instagram, & Twitter.
Contact us
Kaslo FireSmart Coordinator:
Email: FireSmart@kaslo.ca
Phone: 250-353-2311
Facebook: @Kaslo FireSmart
Instagram: @kaslo_firesmart
FireSmarting your home and property
FireSmarting your home and property is a powerful way to increase the likelihood your house will survive a wildfire - and there are lots of supports available.
Jessie Lay, Wildfire Mitigation Specialist, giving a home assessment to a resident.
FireSmart Home Assessments
Through the Home Partners Program, you can book a FREE FireSmart Home Assessment.
What to expect:
Book a Home Assessment online above or call 250-352-1539
Once you have requested an assessment, the Wildfire Mitigation Specialist (WMS) for Kaslo and Area D will contact you to book a time that works for you.
The WMS comes to your house and completes a 360o assessment (excluding the interior of buildings). They will speak to wildfire behaviour and how a wildfire could impact your house and why.
The WMS will then provide an in-depth report of your house and property including some actions you can take to improve your property’s resilience to wildfires. This differs from previous FireSmart Assessment scorecards, in that the results are qualitative rather than quantitative, provide achievable action items, and are completely customized to your house.
If you choose to action any of the recommendations on the report, you can apply for the $5,000 rebate! Make sure to keep track of your hours and expenses!
Good to know about Home Assessments:
Jessie Lay, Wildfire Mitigation Specialist, giving a home assessment to a resident.
All Home Assessments are completely PRIVATE and CONFIDENTIAL.
FireSmart Canada and the RDCK only share details of the assessment with you.There are no requirements associated with getting a Home Assessment. Home Assessments are solely to give you more information about your house, and there are no requirements to act on the items in the report.
If you successfully complete all requirements from the report, you can book a reassessment to then become FireSmart Certified. You can choose to share your FireSmart certificate with insurance providers to potentially reduce rates or maintain coverage, or with your Realtor to assist in selling your home.
You must be the owner of the property being assessed to book a Home Assessment. If you are renting, see the FireSmart BC Home Owner’s manual below for FireSmart tips and tricks.
This program runs annually from May to the end of September.
Contact firesmart@rdck.ca or 250-352-1539 if you have any questions.
Rebate Program
As part of the Community Resiliency Investment program there is potential for homeowners to be compensated up to $5,000 for performing FireSmart activities on residential property or homes. In order to qualify for this funding, homes must be assessed by a RDCK Wildfire Mitigation Specialist. The rebate application intake is open from May 1st through to October 31st 2024.
Step 1 - Get a free FireSmart home assessment from an RDCK Wildfire Mitigation Specialist by filling out the online application at rdck.ca/firesmart emailing firesmart@rdck.bc.ca or calling 250-352-1539. |
Step 2 – Work with your Wildfire Mitigation Specialist to complete a Rebate Work Plan. This is where you can plan out your FireSmart mitigation actions and have some feedback on how to prioritize your efforts. |
Step 3 - Take action on the recommendations from your FireSmart home assessment. This can be accomplished by yourself, with your neighbours, or using hired help. Use the table on the Rebate Application Form to keep track of both your personal hours as well as any money spent on contractors or materials. |
Step 4 - Submit your rebate application. Please note that rebate applications over $1000 will require a follow up visit from your Wildfire Mitigation Specialist. |
Frequently asked rebate questions
| The FireSmart Rebate Guide can answer many of the questions listed below; |
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Contact firesmart@rdck.ca or 250-352-1539 if you have any further questions.
FireSmart Home Owner Manual
This guide provides easy steps to make your property FireSmart, so you can reduce the potential impacts of wildfire on your home, neighbourhood, and community: Home Owner’s Manual
FireSmart Landscaping
Ensuring your yard is FireSmart is an important part to keeping wildfires away from your door. See the FireSmart BC Landscaping Hub for everything related to landscaping.
Keeping your grass below 10 cm, and staying away from bark mulch are just a few tips to keeping your yard FireSmart that can be found on the Landscaping Hub.
Did you know some plants are more combustible than others? Species such as cedar, juniper, and pine are highly combustible, whereas species such as lilacs, cherries, and yarrow are fire-resistant.
See the FireSmart Landscaping Hub and the Central Kootenay Invasive Species Society's EcoGarden Project to see which fire-resistant plants can grow in your area!
For more information, see the resources page or feel free to contact firesmart@kaslo.ca
FireSmart Neighbourhood Recognition Program
What is the FireSmart Canada Neighbourhood Recognition Program?
The FireSmart Neighbourhood Recognition Program is a unique approach to collaboratively reducing a neighbourhoods risk to wildfire through education and events. It is a grassroots, volunteer-run program that is implemented nationally through FireSmart Canada and facilitated locally by the RDCK Wildfire Mitigation Specialists. It is a small scale approach with the intent to implement achievable FireSmart goals for neighbourhood's consisting of 5-50 homes.
What are the steps to becoming a FireSmart-Recognised Neighbourhood?
Get in touch with the RDCK – The RDCK has a Wildfire Mitigation Specialist near you who can help establish what a FireSmart program in your neighbourhood might look like. Email the RDCK at firesmart@rdck.ca or call 250-352-1539
Form a FireSmart Neighbourhood Committee – A FireSmart Neighbourhood Committee consists of 3-5 people living within the neighbourhood. This also includes choosing a “Neighbourhood Champion” who will be the principal contact between the neighbourhood and the Wildfire Mitigation Specialist.
Receive a Neighbourhood Assessment – Similar to a Home Assessment, this addresses the wildfire-related characteristics of the neighbourhood, providing unique recommendations in the form of a detailed report. Coordinate with the RDCK through the above contact to get a Neighbourhood Assessment booked.
Create a FireSmart plan – A written plan for your neighbourhood's unique approach to FireSmart.
Host an event and implement parts of your plan – This generally takes the form of some sort of neighbourhood event or work party. Every neighbourhood is different! See pages 3-8 of this document for ideas.
Apply for recognition in the fall – A one page application, completed each fall, informs FireSmart Canada what you did that year. You’ll get a plaque to put up in your neighbourhood, and annual stickers for every year you do FireSmart work!
For more information see the RDCK FireSmart Neighbourhoods Information Document and the RDCK Website.
What are the grants available to FireSmart Recognised Neighbourhoods?
The RDCK has a grant available for FireSmart Neighbourhood Champions of up to $3,000. This grant is to provide funds in order to help RDCK FireSmart Neighbourhood Champions make their neighbourhoods more resilient against wildfires. This grant compensates for expenses, such as hiring contractors, and volunteer hours.
See HERE for more information.
Reach out at firesmart@kaslo.ca and firesmart@rdck.ca if you have any questions!
FireSmart Neighbourhoods in and around Kaslo!
Recognized FireSmart Neighbourhoods in and around Kaslo: Woodbury, Loki Lots, Bayview, Pine Ridge, Lardeau and Johnson's Landing.
Upcoming FireSmart Neighbourhoods in and around Kaslo: Downtown One, Back Road and Cooker Creek.
An example of a Neighbourhood Assessment (for a portion of downtown Kaslo) is available here: Downtown One Neighbourhood Assessment