The City of Grande Prairie is launching a free FireSmart™ Home Assessment Program, funded by a grant from the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA) for 200 homes from May to October, 2025. The program aims to help residents reduce the risk of wildfire damage to their properties and enhance community resilience.
Residents can request a free FireSmart™ Advanced Home Assessment with a certified Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) specialist who will visit their property and provide a customized report with recommendations on how to improve their home’s wildfire readiness. The assessment focuses on the home ignition zone (within 30 metres), where most wildfires start.
The HIZ specialist will also share tips and resources on how to implement FireSmart™ best practices, such as clearing combustible materials, creating defensible space and choosing fire-resistant landscaping and building materials.
The program targets specific neighbourhoods in Grande Prairie that border onto public wildland urban interface areas, including:
·Mission Heights;
·Coachman Village;
·Southview;
·Bear Creek;
·Country Club West; and
·Grande Banks.
Residents in other neighbourhoods can still submit a request for a home assessment, which are scheduled in based on availability.
Everyone who requests and completes a FireSmart™ home assessment is entered to win a chainsaw and safety kit. The draw for the chainsaw will take place in October once all home assessments are complete.
City of Grande Prairie Wildfire Mitigation Strategy
The FireSmart™ Home Assessment Program is part of the City’s Wildfire Mitigation Strategy, which was developed in 2019 in collaboration with regional partners and stakeholders. The strategy identifies priority areas and actions for reducing wildfire risk and enhancing emergency preparedness and response in Grande Prairie.
Register for a free FireSmart™ Home Assessment by visiting cityofgp.com/firesmart or contacting AccessGP at info@cityofgp.com or calling 311. For more information about the FireSmart™ program and resources, visit firesmartcanada.ca.
Information provided by the City of Grande Prairie