You live in a wildland interface area. That means it’s an area where homes and businesses are built in or near natural areas, among trees and other vegetation that can catch fire easily.
The challenges around wildland interface fires are becoming more pronounced for a number of reasons:
If you live in the interface, you may not be aware of, or not fully appreciate the interface fire danger and the possible consequences of having houses in nature.
You may also have a false sense of security about protection from interface fire, or feel that it’s the responsibility of the local fire department to save you.
Some may be concerned about interface fire but do not know how to reduce the risk without sacrificing the natural setting or visual attractiveness of the area.
Within many interface areas, you may find a lot of fuel available to fuel fires. This fuel load is likely to have built up thanks to successful fire suppression over many years. To reduce the risk of wildfire losses, we must be more aware of the potential consequences of interface fire and share the responsibility to find practical solutions.
Wildfires can ruin homes and cause injuries or death to people and animals. A wildfire is an unplanned fire that burns in a natural area such as a forest, cultivated land or veld.
Blog post summarized from www.firesmartcanada.ca.