Winnipeg, MB – Tomorrow, May 4, 2019, is Wildfire Community Preparedness Day, and the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS) is encouraging residents to take steps to reduce the risk of wildfires in our community.
Wildfires in Winnipeg are typically wind-driven ground fires involving grass, brush, and dead plant matter which can spread quickly. Last year alone, WFPS fought 201 grass, brush, and wildfires within city limits, many which damaged property and threatened structures.
“There are a number of measures property owners can take to mitigate the risk of wildfires,” said Mark Reshaur, Assistant Chief with the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service. “Proper landscaping and vegetation management are key, including thinning and pruning vegetation, removing trees and converting to fire-resistant plants, and general cleanup of brush, leaves, grass, and debris. Watering plants and vegetation in the area surrounding your home is also important, particularly in the first 10 meters around the home.”
Other strategies include storing firewood at least 10 meters away from structures, and ensuring approved outdoor fire receptacles are in an open area away from overhanging vegetation. The rules regarding fires within approved outdoor fire receptacles are set out in part 6 of the Neighbourhood Liveability By-law.
It is important that residents never dispose of smoking materials in any sort of vegetation or from their car window. Butts should also never be put out in planter pots either.
In recent years, the WFPS has acquired specialized equipment to combat wildfires, including compressed air-foam snuffers, pumper tankers for water supply, and quads to access otherwise difficult to reach locations rapidly.
Residents are invited to visit their closest Fire Paramedic Station to obtain a Fire Smart Homeowners Manual, created by the Province of Manitoba, which contains important information about protecting your home from wildfires.