Wildfire Community Preparedness Day
Join us for this year’s Wildfire Prep Day on June 22nd at Central Park from 11am to 5pm. This free event promises a day filled with live music, a thrilling truck pull contest, delicious food from local vendors, exciting prizes, face painting, and delightful balloon animals.
In addition to the festivities, the event will feature vendors supporting the FireSmart Program, offering vital information on community wildfire preparedness. It’s a day to come together as a community, have fun, and learn about essential steps to tackle upcoming wildfire seasons.
Plus residents can take advantage of free yard waste bins provided at the event, ensuring a convenient way to dispose of yard waste. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to enjoy a fun-filled day while boosting our readiness for wildfire season.
June 22, 2024
11:00 AM – 5:00 PM PDT
Central Park | 2975 Voght Street
ENTER INTO THE TRUCK PULL | Call 250.378.5626
Grab and Go Bag
FireSmart Program
FireSmart Rebates
Open to all areas within the municipal boundaries of the City of Merritt. Up to $5000 is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Rebates pay for 50% of the project cost. Projects can include replacing siding, roofing or gutters with FireSmart materials, relocating outbuildings, replacing combustible vegetation, and even the manpower to clean up around your home and yard.
Get a FREE FireSmart Assessment to start the process and then apply for the grant. All projects must be completed by September 6, 2024. See details below.
FireSmart Rebate | Program Guidelines
Under the FireSmart Community Funding & Supports program, approved applicants, such as the City of Merritt, can use grant funding to offer local rebate programs to residential property or homeowners (up to $5000 per resident household) that complete eligible FireSmart activities on their properties in the FireSmart Home Ignition Zone which includes the home and surrounding yard area – Non-Combustible Zone and Priority Zones 1 and 2.
This grant is available to all homeowners within municipal boundaries. Limited rebates are available on a first-come first-served basis. Not every resident will receive the maximum grant, as it relates to actual work completed.
Qualification Requirements
- The residential property or homeowner must have a FireSmart Home Ignition Zone Assessment Score Card of their property conducted by a qualified Local FireSmart Representative (LFR) or Wildfire Mitigation Specialist. The assessment must identify the property in a moderate, high or extreme category.
- The qualified Local FireSmart Representatives (LFR) must use the FireSmart Assessment Work Hours Estimate Form to outline mitigation recommendations to the residential property or
- Residential property or homeowners can complete the recommended mitigation activities themselves or hire others to complete the work.
- Only activities that are recommended in the completed assessment and that are identified in Table 10, are eligible for the rebate.
- Rebates are limited to a maximum of 50% of the total cost of the eligible activities identified in the table and no more than the grant maximum amount per property.
- Residential property owners must complete and submit a FireSmart Grant Application.
- A before and after photo of each project area from same position must be submitted.
- Materials purchased for FireSmart projects must be installed/planted on the home/property that was assessed before being approved for rebate.
- Completed FireSmart Work Hours Form.
- Work must be completed within 60 days of the assessment; extensions may be granted by the LFR.
- Receipts of incurred expenses must be submitted (if applicable).
- All projects must be completed by September 6, 2024.
Eligible FireSmart Activities
Home or Structure |
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| 1 | Roof Material Gutters Vents and Openings | • Install UL/ASTM fire-rated roofing (metal, clay, asphalt shingles) • Install non-combustible gutters and/or gutter covers • Remove roof surface tree needles, debris, or overhanging branches • Install closed eaves and/or non-combustible fire-rated vents or vents with 3 mm screening |
| 2 | Building Exterior or Siding | • Install ignition resistant (fibre cement board or log) or non-combustible (stucco, metal, brick/stone) exterior siding material • Repair gaps, cracks, or holes where embers could lodge or penetrate • Provide 15 cm non-combustible vertical ground-to-siding clearance |
| 3 | Windows & Doors | • Install tempered glass in all doors and windows • Replace single pane window glass with multi pane / thermal window glass • Repair gaps in doors / garage doors where embers could accumulate or penetrate |
| 4 | Balcony, deck, porch | • Install non-combustible or fire-rated, solid (no gaps or cracks) deck surface and support construction • Close up open deck structures or remove all combustibles below deck |
| Yard / Non-Combustible Zone (0 to 1.5 metres from Home) | ||
| 5 | 1.5 metres from furthest extent of home | • Replace combustible surfaces with non-combustible surfaces • Remove combustible debris, materials, fences or plants |
Yard/Zone 1 (1.5 to 10 meters from Home) |
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| 6 | Adjacent Combustibles | • Move woodpiles, building materials and all other combustibles into Zone 2 or enclose in an outbuilding that meets FireSmart guidelines |
| 7 | Outbuildings not meeting FireSmart guidelines | • Relocate outbuildings not meeting FireSmart guidelines more than 10 meters from home or upgrade outbuildings to meet FireSmart guidelines |
| 8 | Trees | • Replace (with deciduous) or remove coniferous (evergreen) species |
| 9 | Surface vegetation and combustible materials | • Cut and maintain grass to less than 10 cm or shorter • Replace flammable – continuous or tall growing plants with low flammability, low growing, discontinuous plants • Remove branches, logs, and needles, leaves and debris accumulations |
Yard / Zone 2 (10 to 30 metres from Home) |
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| 10 | Trees | • Thin coniferous trees or replace with deciduous tree species • Remove conifer tree branches within 2 metres of the ground |
| 11 | Surface Vegetation | • Reduce surface vegetation – long grass and flammable shrubs • Reduce accumulations of branches, logs and debris |
FireSmart Rebate: Application Requirements & Process
Step 1 — Download (or pick up at City Hall) and complete the FireSmart Grant Rebate form, submit to City Hall.
Step 2 — Wait to be contacted by a City of Merritt’s Local FireSmart Representative (LFR) or Wildfire Mitigation Specialist (WMS) for an assessment, approval, and a FireSmart Assessment Work Hours Form to be completed before beginning work.
Step 3 — Conduct the FireSmart treatment as recommended through your assessment. FireSmart work must be completed within 60 days of the initial assessment. All projects must be completed by September 6, 2024. Extensions may be granted through an LFR or WMS.
Refer to the FireSmart Begins at Home and FireSmart Guide to Landscaping for more information.
Step 4 — Book a follow up for assessment approval from your LFR.
Step 5 — Submit the Final Approval Form and completed documents to the LFR including:
- FireSmart Grant Rebate 2024 form
- Completed FireSmart Home Ignition Zone Assessment Card
- Photo of Project Area (Before & After)
- Completed FireSmart Work Hours Form
- Receipts of incurred expenses if applicable
Step 6 — When contacted, pick up your rebate from City Hall.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION
Merritt Fire Rescue | 250.378.5626.
Steve Rempel, FireSmart Coordinator | srempel@merritt.ca
#FireSmart #rebate #wildfire