Community fireguards

Overview

A fireguard is a strip of land near or surrounding a community where fuel sources have been removed to break the path of a wildfire, preventing the fire from spreading. Fireguards help protect property, critical infrastructure and, most importantly, human life.

Fireguard purpose

Cleared wooded area with machine gathering logs on edge of snow covered tree line.

A community fireguard creates a fuel-free zone, wide enough to prevent a wildfire from making direct contact with infrastructure. It is supported and reinforced by FireSmart™ treatments, such as tree thinning and pruning.

Fireguards can also enhance wildfire suppression efforts by providing safe and strategic locations for wildland firefighters to respond from. Removing fuel sources slows the ability of a wildfire to spread, increasing the odds of containment and making operations safer for firefighters.

A fireguard can also play a vital role in ignition operations. It is a natural barrier when firefighters are burning off fuel to control the movement or intensity of a wildfire.

A community fireguard is an essential tool for protecting a community from wildfire, but wildfire suppression support is needed in conjunction with the fireguard for it to be truly effective.

Fireguards

Construction and maintenance

Fireguards are usually constructed using heavy equipment to create a buffer zone between communities and potential wildfires by removing trees, vegetation and other fuel sources. The cleared area varies in size, depending on the local geography and fuel types. Construction can take several years to complete.

When properly maintained, fireguards are an effective long-term strategy for wildfire prevention and mitigation. Fireguard maintenance can include passive methods like livestock grazing, as well as active landscape management by communities or local businesses.

With regular maintenance, fireguards can increase wildfire resilience and help protect communities for decades.

Community Fireguard Program

Alberta’s government provides funding to the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA) to deliver the Community Fireguard Program. The program helps at-risk communities proactively prepare for the impacts of wildfire by constructing fireguards around or near a community.

Communities in or near the forest are encouraged to consider fireguard construction as part of their wildfire mitigation strategy.