Preparing your property for wildfires

As summer approaches and temperatures rise, many facility and maintenance managers are looking for a strategy to try and protect their properties from this season’s wildfires. According to the National Forestry Database, 8000 fires occur in Canada each year, destroying over 2.1 million hectares, and fires are increasing due to drought, warmer temperatures, high winds, and dried vegetation in forests and grasslands.

Preparation is the key to staying protected as much as possible, and incorporating fire protection into your maintenance program can help protect your business.

Get informed

Not only is it important to assess your area’s risk and your building’s vulnerabilities, but maintenance managers also need to pay attention to the current weather conditions, trends, and predicted shifts. Subscribe to local alerts to ensure you are following the current weather in your area. Once you have determined your estimated risk, you can take steps to stay as protected as possible through the season. Be proactive

Even if you are not close to an affected area, the wind can shift, with smoke traveling at over 60 miles per hour, affecting areas a long way away from the original site. Protect your staff and improve your IAQ by regularly maintaining your HVAC system and keeping additional filters on hand for optimal ventilation, which will help clear the air inside and decrease the amount of smoke that enters your building. As well as affecting your IAQ, smoke can get into the drywall, paint, or inside the walls, which means it has to be professionally addressed to mitigate the damage to your building and its inhabitants.

Look at ways that you can help make your building more fire resistant by limiting vegetation that’s most flammable, switching out wood or wood decking, and choosing smoke-resistant interior and exterior materials. Additionally, remove branches overhanging the roof and chimney, keep grass low, avoid storing combustible materials against the building, and regularly maintain your vents.

Be mindful, too, of your local regulations and related building codes when making any changes to your building.

RELATED: Fire safety experts warn of B.C. building code change

While you may not have the budget to completely overhaul your property, these are some of the ways you can help your building’s performance as you upgrade and replace in the future.

Plan for the worst

Even after doing everything you can, you may still be affected by this summer’s wildfires. Investing in backup power may be a good idea in case emergency measures need to be taken. Put a plan in place to be prepared for action should this occur, including an evacuation and communication plan. If the threat becomes imminent, close all doors, windows, and entrances. Back up all data and materials, remove anything combustible from the property, and ensure clear communication on the protocols with your employees.

With continuing climate change, wildfires are expected to continue throughout the country, so the more prepared managers can be, the more they can protect their employees and their business.

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