Lesser Slave River Community Guide Fall 2016 | Page 11

FALL 2016
mdlsr.ca
FireSmart Achievement Award
The series of wildfires that devastated the region in the spring of 2011 will never be forgotten. Since that dark time,
however, the MD has been working diligently to ensure that such an event will also never be repeated. One of the most
impactful ways it does so is via its FireSmart initiative; a program that promotes activities to help residents reduce the
risk of a wildfire entering the community.
On April 18, the MD (in conjunction with its FireSmart partners the Town of Slave Lake and Sawridge First Nation) were
presented the FireSmart Community Protection Achievement Award. Presented by FireSmart Canada President Laura
Stewart, this award is given to local governments that have taken the initiative to develop FireSmart plans for their
community. The MD joins the ranks of only about a dozen other municipalities that have received this award since 2012.
“As a firefighter myself, I have witnessed first-hand how far and fast wildfire embers can travel, and yet how easily
a homeowner can safeguard their property to guard against these embers,” shares Reeve Murray Kerik. “Like the
program’s name suggests, it promotes a smart set of fundamentals that all homeowners can follow to drastically reduce
the spread of house-to-house fires.” The FireSmart program promotes common sense activities at the community level,
such as pruning bushes, planting fire-resistant vegetation or replacing flower bed mulch with stones. In conjunction with
the Town and First Nation, the MD continues to expand their FireSmart efforts throughout the region.