FireSmart Rebate | Program Guidelines

Under the FireSmart Community Funding & Supports program, approved program administrators like the City of Merritt can use grant funding to offer local rebate programs to residential property owners who complete eligible FireSmart activities on their properties in the FireSmart Home Ignition Zones, which include the home and surrounding yard area.

This grant is available to all homeowners within municipal boundaries.

Qualification Requirements

• Residential property owners must complete and submit a FireSmart Rebate Application.
• A Wildfire Mitigation Assessment must be completed by a qualified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist (WMS) for the residential property, including pre-treatment photographic documentation of all identified project areas.
• The Wildfire Mitigation Assessment must be accompanied by a completed FireSmart Work Hours Estimate Form, outlining the projects and eligible rebateable costs.
• Only activities recommended in the completed Assessment and identified in Table 10 of the Work Hours Estimate Form are eligible for the rebate.
• Projects may be prioritized based on the extent to which the proposed work aligns with FireSmart principles and improves the residence’s resilience to wildland fire.
• Rebates are limited to a maximum of 50% of the total cost of eligible activities and no more than $2,500 per property.
• A reassessment is required upon completion of the approved projects to photograph and document the completed work.
• Work must be completed within 60 days of the assessment. Extensions may be granted by the WMS.
• Receipts for all incurred expenses identified in the Work Estimate Form must be submitted, if applicable.

Eligible Activities for FireSmart Rebate Programs and Eligible Residential Mitigation Work

Home or Structure
1	Roof Materials, 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, excluding dryer vents.
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 and Doors	Install tempered glass in all doors and windows. Replace single-pane window glass with multi-pane or thermal window glass. Repair gaps in doors and garage doors where embers could accumulate or penetrate.
4	Balcony, Deck and Porch	Install non-combustible or fire-rated, solid deck surfaces and support construction without gaps or cracks. Close open deck structures or remove all combustibles below the deck.
FireSmart Immediate Zone (0 to 1.5 metres from Home)
5	Within 1.5 metres of the furthest extent of the home	Replace combustible surfaces with non-combustible surfaces. Remove combustible debris, materials, fences or plants.
FireSmart Intermediate Zone (1.5 to 10 metres from Home)
6	Adjacent Combustibles	Move woodpiles, building materials and all other combustibles into the Extended Zone or enclose them in an approved outbuilding that meets FireSmart guidelines.
7	Outbuildings Not Meeting FireSmart Guidelines	Upgrade outbuildings to meet FireSmart guidelines or relocate them more than 10 metres from the home. Ensure any structures retained in this area are treated to the same standards as decks and hardened against ember transfer. Examples of outbuildings include external heat sources, smokehouses and outdoor kitchens.
8	Trees	Remove coniferous trees from this zone or mitigate mature conifers by limbing to 2 metres or one-third of the canopy, whichever is less, and ensuring 3-metre crown spacing where ecologically appropriate. Promote deciduous trees that are resistant to wildfires.
9	Surface Vegetation and Combustible Materials	Cut and maintain grass to less than 10 cm. Plant low-growing, well-spaced, fire-resistant plants and shrubs. Avoid woody debris, including mulch. Keep surface debris to a minimum. Remove dead branches, excessive build-up of pine needles and heavy accumulation of grass.
FireSmart Extended Zone (10 to 30 metres from Home)
10	Trees	Thin coniferous trees or replace them with deciduous tree species. Remove conifer tree branches within 2 metres of the ground or one-third of the canopy, whichever is less, and ensure 3-metre crown spacing where ecologically appropriate.
11	Surface Vegetation	Reduce surface vegetation, including long grass and flammable shrubs. Reduce accumulations of branches, logs and debris.

FireSmart Rebate: Application Requirements & Process

Step 1 —
Complete the FireSmart Rebate form and submit it to City Hall or email it to
FireSmart@merritt.ca.

Step 2 —
Wait to be contacted by a City of Merritt Wildfire Mitigation Specialist (WMS) for approval and to schedule a Wildfire Mitigation Assessment. Both the assessment and the
Work Hours Estimate
must be completed by the WMS before starting any proposed projects.

Step 3 —
Complete the FireSmart treatment as recommended through your assessment. FireSmart work must be completed within 60 days of the initial assessment. Extensions may be granted by a WMS. Refer to the
FireSmart Begins at Home
and
FireSmart Guide to Landscaping
for more information.

Step 4 —
Book a follow-up assessment with your WMS for approval.

Step 5 —
Once all projects are approved as complete by the Wildfire Mitigation Specialist (WMS), the following documents will be processed:

• FireSmart Rebate 2026 Application Form
• Wildfire Mitigation Assessment report (completed by the WMS)
• Completed FireSmart Work Hours Form (as established by the WMS)
• Reassessment after project completion
• Receipts for incurred expenses, if applicable

Step 6 —
When your application has been processed, cheques will be mailed within 3 weeks.

Further questions or comments can be sent to
FireSmart@merritt.ca
or by calling the firehall at
(250) 378-5626.

Learn More

BOOK YOUR

Free Wildfire Mitigation Assessment

Contact FIRESMART@MERRITT.CA to book your assessment.  If you wish to also take advantage of the rebate, please apply for that first.

FireSmart Tips

SOURCE: FireSmart BC

In a wildfire, embers can travel up to two kilometres by wind or energy of a fire. A wildfire can tear through a community, often bouncing through treetops, particularly conifers like cedar hedges.

Every FireSmart step we take can have a positive impact.  At minimum, clear debris from around your home, move combustible materials at least 1.5 metres (5 ft) from your home (this includes cedar hedges and patio furniture), and consider installing fire-retardant materials and barriers.

These FireSmart tips can help you reduce your risk:

• Clear Debris:
  (a) Remove leaves and branches from roofs and gutters, under decks, and around the base of your home.
  (b) Trim overgrown trees away from your home. Trim lower branches at least 2 metres from the ground. Space trees and shrubs at least 3 metres apart. Trim trees around access routes to your home to allow access for emergency vehicles. Also contact your utility company to clear branches and other vegetation from overhead electrical installations.
• Install Spark Barriers:
  (a) Add a spark arrestor to the top of your chimney.
  (b) Screen vents with 3 mm non-combustible mesh.
  (c) Ensure eaves have properly fitted soffits and fascia.
• Remove Combustible Materials next to your home: Move or replace wooden fences, decking, structures, wood piles, or other materials at least 1.5 metres from the home or outbuildings. This includes patio furniture and anything that will burn.
• Replace Combustible Plantings: Opt for fire-resistant plants like leafy, deciduous trees, perennial flowers, and waxy, broadleaf shrubs. Remove evergreen conifers with resin-like sap, including cedars, cypress, and junipers. View FireSmart BC’s Landscaping Hub.
• Trim Grass: Avoid tall ornamental grasses in your garden. Also, keep your lawn shorter than 10 centimetres. Consider xeriscaping your yard to limit the need for irrigation.
• Be aware of Mulch: Avoid using bark mulch near your home. Opt for rocks or gravel.
• Relocate Firepits: Keep firepits 3 meters away from flammable structures and overhanging tree branches. Note that Fire Permits are required in the City of Merritt. Also they are not valid during a Fire Ban, which regularly occurs from July to October.
• Renovate your home with fire-retardant materials:
  (a) Roofs: Class A-, B- or C-rated roofing include metal, asphalt, clay and composite rubber tiles. Untreated wood shakes are dangerous.
  (b) Siding: Stucco, metal siding, brick/concrete, and fibre cement siding offer superior fire resistance. Wood and vinyl siding offer little protection.
  (c) Windows: Tempered, thermal, double-paned windows are recommended.
  (d) Doors and garage doors: Ensure they are fire-rated and have a good seal.
• Get Fire Tools ready:
  (a) Every home should have readily accessible shovels, rakes, axes, garden hoses, sprinklers, and ladders to assist in suppressing wildfires.
  (b) Get a Wildfire Home Sprinkler Protection Kit.

FireSmart