After the city’s announcement that crews will begin working on FireSmarting two key areas after the Thanksgiving weekend, Grande Prairie Mayor Jackie Clayton took a moment to educate her residents about why FireSmarting is so important for the Peace Country.
According to the Mayor, FireSmarting is an initiative that has been at the front of every councillor’s mind since the devastating Bear Creek wildfire in 2023.
“This FireSmarting initiative is something we can all recognize as extremely important, it wasn’t that long ago when we were faced with a fire last year, having that FireSmart initiative just prepares us and helps us in the management of any vegetation that is really fast burning fuel for fires,” she says. “If there is a fire there, it helps slow it down so it becomes more manageable.”
The funding to complete such projects comes from the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta’s grant system, and Clayton says offseason FireSmarting plays a crucial role in securing the city, especially as holdover fires and early season starts continue to pose a threat.
“I would say FireSmart is definitely something that is in the forefront of everybody’s mind on a regular basis as we continue to see forest fire season come earlier,” she says. “Recently, it’s been dry in our area so I think it’s something that everybody is aware of.”
The Mayor suggests FireSmarting is not just an issue that council deals with, saying residents can take a few simple steps, year-round, to ensure their properties are as safe as possible during a wildfire threat.
“Even in your own yards, there are initiatives you can take to FireSmart your house,” she says. “It’s simple things, removing dead brush from your house, not having your woodpile leaning up against your house, small steps like that.”
“If a fire impacts our city, we want to be as prepared as possible.”
When it comes to future projects, the Mayor says residents should expect their council to continue applying for FRIAA grants to help offset the costs of wildfire mitigation in the coming years.
“I would assume that in the future, we will get recommendations from our fire department of areas that would be best suited for FireSmarting,” she says. “You will continue to see us apply for that money as we continue to FireSmart our community.”
The Mayor encourages all residents to visit FireSmart Alberta’s website to receive information regarding best practices for their homes.
