Wildfire season is underway in Canada, with fires burning in Manitoba, one of them deadly. As the threat to lives and property grows, wildfire prevention has become a major focus for the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction (ICLR) at Western. For more than two decades, ICLR has been at the forefront of efforts to reduce the impact of climate-related disasters.
Paul Kovacs, executive director of ICLR and adjunct economics professor, shares practical advice for homeowners exploring ways to protect their properties. He outlines essential steps that can make a difference in an increasingly unpredictable and fire-prone environment.
Western News: What can people do to protect their homes?
Paul Kovacs (PK): Ultimately, there are several dozen things to do, however, there are three very important actions most homeowners in wildfire-prone areas should take to protect their properties from wildfire damage. Firstly, in the immediate metre and a half next to your home, you should have nothing that can burn. Have gravel or concrete next to your home instead of vegetation and do not have a wooden fence. That first metre and a half really matters.
Secondly, have a fire-resistant roof. The most common way a house or a building ignites from wildfire is when embers get blown ahead of the fire and land on something that then ignites. The largest space for most homes is their roof. The most fire-resistant roofing materials are metal, clay tile and asphalt shingles.
The third is the cladding, or the siding of the house. I personally have hardboard on my home, which is a cement fibre siding. It is very common in Canada to have vinyl siding which melts easily and creates toxic fumes. Wood siding is also not a good idea in wildfire-prone areas.
Paul Kovacs
What areas are most vulnerable to wildfire damage?
PK: In Canada, wildfires have been recorded in every part of our country. Sometimes there are grass fires and sometimes there are fires in the wildland forests. The focus of wildfire protection research has been in what we call the “wildland urban interface.” This is the region near the forest and on the edge of communities.
People whose homes are completely in the wildland typically understand the risks and must manage those risks. In contrast, it’s extremely rare for a fire to get into a large urban area. It’s the part in between, the wildland urban interface, where the most damage from wildfires occur, and where there is great potential to take protective action. While wildfires can happen anywhere in Canada, data collected by the federal government shows 95 per cent of homes destroyed by wildfires over the last 40 years were in two provinces: British Columbia and Alberta.
How much damage do wildfires cause in Canada?
PK: Statistically, it is actually uncommon to have fires destroy property in Canada. Most fires stop or are under control well before they threaten property. Evacuations are common, but usually people return to their properties and everything is still intact.
Damaging wildfires tend to come in bunches. The worst wildfire in Canadian history in terms of damage was the Fort McMurray, Alta. wildfire in 2016 with a total cost approaching $10 billion, and just last year a fire in Jasper, Alta. caused more than $1 billion in damage.
We can go a couple of years where we have lots of fires, but not a lot of damage, and then have an event like Jasper or Fort McMurray and suddenly the cost is in billions.
What is the FireSmart program recommended by ICLR?
PK: FireSmart is an independent national program endorsed by Canada’s insurers to promote disaster-resilient homes. It helps individual property owners, homeowners, businesses and communities prepare for wildfires. In Canada, wildfires are a natural part of our ecosystem; we have thousands of fires every year. FireSmart is the program to help people be prepared, learn to live with fire and hopefully avoid having any loss and damage if they follow the guidance.
Are you seeing communities benefit from the wildfire initiatives promoted at ICLR?
PK: Yes, ICLR field studies assessed why some homes were destroyed and others survived fires in Fort McMurray. Earlier this year, Jasper and Banff, Alta. became two communities requiring every new home built to include all the wildfire protection we recommend at ICLR. We’re excited that these communities are taking the lead in making sure that wildfire protection is in place and taking advantage of the support from groups like ICLR.
For research on the FireSmart program, visit iclr.org.
Expert explainers reflect the perspective and scholarly interest of Western faculty members and are not an articulation of official university policy on issues being addressed.
