Rebate Program

The FireSmart rebate provides up to $1000 to 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 as well as time spent conducting hazard mitigation work on your property. 
Please note that the RDOS FireSmart rebate program may be subject to change.

1000 REBATES AVAILABLE 2

What You Need to Know

Who is eligible for the rebate? And how does it work?

Residents, community associations and strata properties within the RDOS nine electoral areas  are eligible to apply.

  • Labour costs will be calculated as 50% of $28.54 per hour up to $1000. The cost per hour is based on the volunteer compensation rate established by FireSmart Canada.
  • The work must be conducted within the FireSmart Home Ignition Zones, which includes the home and surrounding yard areas (illustrated below) - Immediate Zone, Intermediate Zone and Extended Zone.
  • Only the FireSmart activities, estimated work hours and associated costs that are recommended in the completed assessment are eligible for the rebate.
  • Residential property owners can complete the mitigation activities themselves, or hire others to complete the work.
  • Due to limited funding, homeowners are limited to submitting one rebate application per property.

Download the Rebate Brochure

 

Home Ignition Zone SCREEN

Activities eligible for rebate

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 (Immediate Zone): 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 Intermediate Zone: Remove material that would easily ignite, thin and prune trees, clean up accumulations of fallen branches, remove dry grass and needles.
  • FireSmart Extended Zone: 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.

Eligible Activities for FireSmart Rebate

Home or Structure

1

Roof Material

Gutters Vents and Openings
  • Install UL/ASTM fire-rated roofing (metal, clay, asphalt shingles)
  • Install non-combustible gutters and/or gutter covers
  • Remove roof surface tree needles, debris or overhanging branches
  • Install closed eaves and/or non-combustible fire-rated vents or vents with 3 mm screening

 

2

 

Building Exterior or Siding
  • Install ignition resistant (fiber cement board or log) or non-combustible (stucco, metal, brick/stone) exterior siding material
  • Repair gaps, cracks, or holes where embers could lodge or penetrate
  • Provide 15 cm non-combustible vertical ground-to-siding clearance

 

3

 

Windows & Doors
  • Install tempered glass in all doors and windows
  • Replace single pane window glass with multi pane / thermal window glass
  • Repair gaps in doors / garage doors where embers could accumulate or penetrate

 

4

Balcony, deck, porch
  • Install non-combustible or fire-rated, solid (no gaps or cracks) deck surface and support construction
  • Close up open deck structures or remove all combustibles below deck

 Yard / Immediate Zone (0 to 1.5 meters from Home) 

5

1.5 meters from   furthest extent of home
  •  Replace combustible surfaces with non-combustible surfaces
  •  Remove combustible debris, materials, fences or plants

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

6

Adjacent Combustibles
  • Move woodpiles, building materials and all other combustibles into Extended Zone or enclose in an outbuilding that meets FireSmart guidelines

 

7

Outbuildings not meeting FireSmart guidelines
  • Relocate outbuildings not meeting FireSmart guidelines more than 10 meters

from home or upgrade outbuildings to meet FireSmart guidelines

8

Trees
  • Replace (with deciduous) or remove coniferous (evergreen) species

 

 

9

Surface vegetation and combustible materials
  • Cut and maintain grass to less than 10 cm or shorter
  • Replace flammable - continuous or tall growing plants with low flammability, low growing, discontinuous plants
  • Remove branches, logs and needles, leaves and debris accumulations

 

 Yard / Extended Zone (10 to 30 metres from Home)  

Note: Areas beyond the Extended Zone should not be addressed until the building, Immediate, Intermediate and Extended Zones have first been addressed. Consider seeking the guidance of a forest professional with wildland fire knowledge on appropriate management options for areas beyond the Extended Zone.

10

Trees
  • Thin coniferous trees or replace with deciduous tree species
  • Remove conifer tree branches within 2 meters of the ground

11

Surface Vegetation
  • Reduce surface vegetation – long grass and flammable shrubs
  • Reduce accumulations of branches, logs and debris

Step 1: Download your application forms

The forms include:

  1. RDOS FireSmart Rebate Application form:
    RDOS-FireSmart-Rebate-Program-Application-FINAL5.pdf
  2. FireSmart Home Ignition Zone Score Card (only required if you complete the self assessment).
    If you have had a free home assessment completed of your home, simply attach this report to your application:
    RDOS-Home-Ignition-Zone-Score-Card-04-2021.pdf
  3. FireSmart Home Work Hours Form:
    Provide the hours you've worked in this form
    RDOS-Work-Hrs-rebate-form.pdf

Step 2: Also include the following in your package

  • Before and after photos of the project areas being worked on (ensure the photos are from the same direction and orientation)
  • Original receipts for materials used to complete hazard mitigation work on your property

Step 3: Complete a one-hour online FireSmart 101 Course

Step 4: Send in your completed application

  • Email it to firesmart@rdos.bc.ca or mail it to the RDOS FireSmart, 101 Martin Street, Penticton, B.C., V2A 5J9

Have Questions?

Email us at firesmart@rdos.bc.ca