LAC LA BICHE - Lac La Biche County Fire Rescue hosted community preparedness events last Saturday in Holowachuk Estates Park and at Jubilee Park in Young’s Beach to educate residents about wildfire prevention and the FireSmart program.
Attendees enjoyed free hot dogs and refreshments and got to meet the program’s mascot, Ember the FireSmart Fox.
FireSmart is an initiative used throughout Canada and Alberta to raise public awareness about wildfires and how to mitigate the risk. Those who attended the events on Saturday afternoon could sign up for a free FireSmart assessment. These assessments are conducted by local fire officials to check residential homes and structures for fire safety, taking such factors as vegetation, closed-in decks and building materials into consideration when doing so.
People who signed up for assessments also had a chance to win a chainsaw, which was on display under the tent where members of Lac La Biche Fire Rescue met with people.
There were also grab bags given away that contained items such as hats and keychains, along with booklets about the FireSmart program and information on Fire activity restriction levels, which in Alberta outlined in six coloured stages ranging from Green (no advisory) to Black (forest area closure).
