How to 'fire smart' your New Westminster Home

British Columbia has experienced huge fires in the last few years, in part the result of fossil fuel emissions and the consequent climate change.

Although they have occurred largely in the north and interior of the province, most residents in New Westminster are concerned about 'firesmarting' their homes.

NewWest.tv invited Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Gill, who has experience fighting wildfires, to take a tour around a strata complex, (known as a condo in the east), that sits right beside a very treed ravine. While concern among residents of New Westminster percolates, the strata provides a good example of a potential worst-case scenario in New Westminster because of its location.

Luckily, residents of the strata and of New Westminster in general can breathe easy. According to Gill, we are in the 'coastal zone' of British Columbia, an area dominated by deciduous trees and is fairly humid, Both factors mitigate against wildfire.

The program goes into details of the dos and don'ts of keeping one's home safe.