The FireSmart rebate provides grants for homeowners living within the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen (RDOS) who conduct FireSmart work on their property. This money may reimburse the cost of materials and time spent conducting hazard mitigation work on your property. 

The RDOS FireSmart rebate program is subject to change. The number of rebates available is limited.
Do not rely solely on this rebate to cover costs for your FireSmart initiatives.

To confirm the availability of rebates in your area, please email: firesmart@rdos.bc.ca 

* New for 2024, you must have a Wildfire Mitigation Assessment completed by a qualified Wildfire Mitigation Specialist. Sign up here or email firesmart@rdos.bc.ca to schedule an assessment.

Email firesmart@rdos.bc.ca

RDOS FireSmart Rebate Submission

Note* all forms can be downloaded, saved and filled out on line by clicking the appropriate box. Scores and hours are self tabulating.

Residential owners must complete an RDOS FireSmart rebate application that includes:

• 1) Completed RDOS FireSmart Rebate Application
  RDOS-FireSmart-Rebate-Program-Application
  
•  2) Completed Wildfire Mitigation Assessment- include name of Wildfire Mitigation Specialist
• 3) FireSmart Work Hours Form PDF
  RDOS-Work-Hrs-rebate-form.pdf
• 4) "Before and After" Photos of the project areas being worked on. (Ensure the photos are from the same direction and orientation)
• 5) Copies of original receipts of incurred expenses.
• 6) The home owner must take and complete the Firesmart 101 online program.
  FireSmart 101 Course (Online | one hour):  FireSmart 101 | FireSmart (firesmartcanada.ca)

        Submission of the certificate with rebate application is required.

 Submit completed RDOS FireSmart rebate application to:

E-mail: firesmart@rdos.bc.ca or mail (drop off): 101 Martin Street, Penticton BC V2A 5J9

FireSmart Rebate Details

• FireSmart activities must be located in the FireSmart Home Ignition Zones which includes the home and surrounding yard area – FireSmart Non-Combustible Zone and Priority Zone 1, 2, and 3.
  (Work within Zones 2 and 3 will be considered only after addressing concerns of the Home Ignition Zone, Non-Combustible Zone, and Zone 1).
• A FireSmart Assessment – accomplished by completing the RDOS Home Ignition Zone Score-Card-04-2021.  A FireSmart Home Assessment conducted on a single home should take no more than a few hours. This would apply to residences, farms, and ranches. 

• "Before and After" Photos  of the treatment are required 
• Only the FireSmart activities, estimated work hours, and associated costs that are recommended in the completed assessment are eligible for the rebate.
• See the "RDOS Work Hrs rebate form" above under rebate submission. 
• Rebates are limited to a maximum of 50% of the total cost of the eligible activities identified and no more than $500 per property.
• Residential property owners can complete the mitigation activities themselves or hire others to complete the work.
• You may also submit the Home Partners Program report from your RDOS representative instead of the Home Ignition Zone Scorecard.
• Due to limited funding, homeowners are limited to submitting one rebate application per property.

Performing FireSmart Rebate Hazard Reduction Work

 Do the hazard mitigation work – retain receipts for materials - labor costs will be 50% of $28.54 per hour up to $500. The cost per hour is based on the volunteer compensation rate established by FireSmart Canada.

1. When the work is complete contact your Local FireSmart representative  and submit your documentation for review and approval of your rebate.

 Please note that the RDOS FireSmart rebate program may be subject to change.

Goal of FireSmart

The general goal of FireSmart is to encourage communities and citizens to adopt and conduct FireSmart practices to mitigate the negative impacts of wildfire to assets on public and private property.

The Regional District Okanagan Similkameen, in partnership with the Community Resiliency Investment (CRI) FireSmart Community Funding & Supports Program, can use grant funding to offer a local rebate program to home owners that complete eligible FireSmart activities on their own properties. To be eligible for funding, the work must:

• Address the goals of FireSmart.
• Be conducted  within the FireSmart Home Ignition Zones  which includes the home and surrounding yard areas (illustrated below)
  - Non-Combustible Zone and Priority Zones 1, 2 and 3.
• Follow the rebate program requirements outlined below.
  

Who is Eligible?

Residents, community associations, and strata properties within the RDOS nine (9) Electoral Areas (“A”, “B”, “C”, “D”, “E”, “F”,”G” “H” and “I”), excluding the municipalities of Osoyoos, Oliver, Penticton, Keremeos, and Summerland,  are eligible to apply.

Eligible FireSmart Activities

In general, the following activities are eligible for rebate:

• Roofing: remove combustible debris and overhanging branches
• Siding: remove combustible debris, create 15 cm ground-to-siding non-combustible clearance
• Decking: remove all combustible material from under or adjacent to deck, relocate firewood piles
• Landscaping: ensure 1.5 metre horizontal non-combustible surface perimeter along the outer walls of the primary structure, plant low density of fire-resistant plants, remove woody debris, remove flammable plants
• FireSmart Priority Zone 1: remove material that would easily ignite, thin and prune trees, clean up accumulations of fallen branches, remove dry grass and needles
• FireSmart Priority Zone 2: plant deciduous trees, remove standing dead and coarse woody debris, remove unmaintained grasses, ensure flammable shrubs are well spaced, remove low tree branches below two metres from the ground

For further information about FireSmart please see the following websites.

https://firesmart.rdos.bc.ca/

https://firesmartbc.ca/

APPENDIX 1  Eligible Activities for FireSmart Rebate

Home or Structure

 Yard/Non-Combustible Zone (0 to 1.5 meters from Home) 

Yard/Zone 1 (1.5 to 10 meters from Home)

Yard / Zone 2 (10 to 30 metres from Home) and Zone 3 (30 to 100 metres from Home) 

Note: Zone 3 should not be addressed until the building, Non-Combustible Zone, Zone 1 and Zone2 have first been addressed. Consider seeking the guidance of a forest professional with wildland fire knowledge on appropriate management options for Zone3.