Protecting your BC Farm or Ranch from Wildfires

Its wildfire season in BC, as of this writing there are currently 113 wildfires burning around BC. This includes 17 new fires reported in the Okanagan in the past 24 hours. There are about 900 properties under evacuation alert, with dozens more under evacuation order. When a fire reaches a certain size, speed and direction; there is nothing you can do except get your family to a safe location. There are ways of protecting your BC farm or ranch from wildfires, including taking important steps before the threat becomes imminent.

There are a number of precautions you can take to prevent fires from starting on your property. These include monitoring weather patterns before engaging in land-clearing and burning activities, along with keeping track of the current burn bans in your area. Also be sure to handle fuels and known accelerants with the utmost care and attention. A fuel spill in a grassy area may not be a problem in the moment, but it could cause the area to burn much faster and uncontrollably in the event of a wildfire.

Protecting your BC farm or ranch from wildfires originating outside your property is also important, some steps you can take are:

Remove potential fuel sources

Dead trees, grass and brush are a fire’s best friend. Fire fighters often do controlled burns to remove fuel sources ahead of the fire’s path. This is a job for professionals only, but you can create fire barriers simply by using your equipment to clear the land of potential fuel sources. This is especially important around high-value buildings, such as your home or barn(s).

Access to your property

Make sure there is quick and easy access to your property for fire trucks and personnel. It is also recommended to clearly mark water sources around your property to shorten the time it takes for a fire fighting crew to get set up.

Have a plan

Every family should have an exit strategy to leave their home in case of a fire. But for a large property owner this should also include plans for livestock, farmhands, relatives, etc. It may not be possible to move your livestock to a safe area, due to the size of your herd or other logistical challenges. At the very least, having a plan to give your animals an escape route can go a long way to saving as many as possible.

Protecting your BC farm or ranch from wildfires is no easy task. However, thinking about fire safety all-year-round can make all the difference.

If you are interested in land clearing equipment to protect your property from wildfires, contact the farm equipment experts at Handlers today!