The City of Grande Prairie is launching a free FireSmart Home Assessment Program, funded by a grant from the Forest Resource Improvement Association of Alberta (FRIAA) for 200 homes from May to October, 2025. The program aims to help residents reduce the risk of wildfire damage to their properties and enhance community resilience.
Residents can request a free FireSmart Advanced Home Assessment with a certified Home Ignition Zone (HIZ) specialist who will visit their property and provide a customized report with recommendations on how to improve their home's wildfire readiness. The assessment focuses on the home ignition zone (within 30 metres), where most wildfires start.
The HIZ specialist will also share tips and resources on how to implement FireSmart best practices, such as clearing combustible materials, creating defensible space and choosing fire-resistant landscaping and building materials.
The program targets specific neighbourhoods in Grande Prairie that border onto public wildland urban interface areas, including:
- Mission Heights;
- Coachman Village;
- Southview;
- Bear Creek;
- Country Club West; and
- Grande Banks.
Residents in other neighbourhoods can still submit a request for a home assessment, which are scheduled in based on availability.
Everyone who requests and completes a FireSmart home assessment is entered to win a chainsaw and safety kit. The draw for the chainsaw will take place in October once all home assessments are complete.
"We're taking proactive steps to address the serious wildfire threat in Grande Prairie by protecting residents and our infrastructure from potential fire disasters," said City of Grande Prairie Mayor, Jackie Clayton. "The FireSmart Home Assessment Program is a great opportunity for homeowners to learn how to make their property more fire-resistant and join the collective effort to create a FireSmart community."
City of Grande Prairie Wildfire Mitigation Strategy
The FireSmart Home Assessment Program is part of the City's Wildfire Mitigation Strategy, which was developed in 2019 in collaboration with regional partners and stakeholders. The strategy identifies priority areas and actions for reducing wildfire risk and enhancing emergency preparedness and response in Grande Prairie.
The City has also implemented FireSmart vegetation management projects on City-owned land, and has supported public education and awareness initiatives on wildfire safety and prevention.