Here’s how you can help protect your property from wildfire, safety experts say

As the flames and smoke from the wildfires that have swept through parts of Nova Scotia in recent weeks dissipate, some residents may be wondering how to protect their properties from future fires.

According to fire safety and insurance experts, there are many steps home and business owners can take to limit or prevent damage, including some quick and easy tasks and other more costly, longer-term efforts.

Glenn McGillivray is the managing director of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction, a non-profit research institute affiliated with Western University in London, Ont.

He says there is a perception that wildfires are a “wall of flame” that enters a community from the forest.

“That’s not really what’s happening,” he says.

On the contrary, embers can be blown far in front of the fire front, even miles away.

“I compare it to, you know, millions of lit cigarettes being thrown at the communities,” he says. “If you can keep those embers from taking hold and igniting, you have a good chance your house will survive.”

Kara McCurdy is the wildfire prevention officer with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and the county liaison for Fire Smart Canadaa national program that aims to minimize the negative consequences of wildfires.

She says everyone can take steps to protect their property from fire damage, whether they’re in the middle of a forest or the middle of a city.

“It doesn’t matter if your house isn’t in a wooded area. Once a house catches fire, it’s like a domino effect and many houses can catch fire,” she says.

Clean up around the property

McGillivray says when a fire enters a community, it ceases to be a wildfire and switches to consuming “urban fuels” — combustible things around a yard or near a building, so clearing combustibles is key to its protection.

According to FireSmart Canada, combustible material must be moved a minimum of 10 meters away from buildings. This includes piles of firewood, bark or pine needle mulch, building materials, patio furniture and recreational vehicles.

The ground area within 1½ meters of a dwelling must be made of non-combustible materials such as gravel, brick, concrete or stones, and tree limbs or woody shrubs must be removed from that area.

McCurdy was present at both the recent Tantallon area wildfires and the Shelburne County wildfires, and says one house in particular stands out in her memory. The house on either side and the house behind it caught fire and burned to the ground, but it was relatively unharmed.

The house had lots of greenery between the woods and the structure, a wide strip of gravel around the foundation, a rock garden, and patio furniture piled away from the house, McCurdy says.

“Mind you, they still got some damage to their siding, but the house itself didn’t burn because, you know, it was clean, it was tidy, [there was a] green strip around the entire building.”

Even the types and locations of plants and shrubs should be considered as some, such as cedar or juniper planted next to a house, can catch fire.

Lawns should be kept mowed and leaves, twigs, branches and pine needles should be cleared around the property.

“Those are fine fuels,” says McGillivray. “It’s like kindling when you light a campfire.”

Deciduous trees should be preferred to conifers in the area closer to buildings, and evergreen trees should not be within 10 feet of a house.

If the yard borders woods, the wooded area should be thinned out to reduce the amount of fuel for fires. Thinning involves increasing the distance between trees, removing fallen trees and pruning trees to create a two-foot distance from the ground.

Constructions near houses

Due to the proximity of buildings, decks can pose an ignition risk. Combustible materials such as wood can be replaced with non-combustible or fire-resistant material, even for only the space closest to the building. Stone or cement terraces can also be used instead of a terrace.

The area below and in front of 1½ meters around decks should be cleared of combustible debris such as dried leaves, pine needles and propane tanks.

Sheds should be placed at least 10 meters away from homes.

Wooden fences can be a major carrier of fire, McGillivray says, noting that during the 2016 Fort McMurray, Alta wildfires, firefighters went around knocking down wooden fences to prevent the flames from traveling to homes.

Housing construction and maintenance

Property owners planning a new build can use building materials that reduce the risk of fire.

McGillivray says there’s a belief that metal roofs are better than asphalt shingles for fire resistance, but that’s not true. As long as roofing materials are class A, they provide comparable protection, he says.

There is a wide variety of cladding options, some of which are more susceptible to fire than others. Wood clapboards are naturally flammable, and McGillivray said vinyl siding melts easily, exposing the underlying layers to embers and flames. Houses made of brick, stucco, fiber cement boards, metal or heavy blocks are more likely to survive a fire.

Debris such as leaves and pine needles should be regularly removed from gutters, and screens can help prevent material from accumulating there.

Eaves should be covered with interior walls and vents should have screens to prevent embers from entering the house.

McCurdy recommends people take the advice on the Firesmart Canada website for more tips on making their homes fireproof, but warns that there is no safe method.

“Even if you protect your home, there’s still a chance it could still catch fire from a wildfire. It’s not 100 percent.”