B.C.’s rural and remote communities are facing more frequent forest and urban-interface fires, exacerbated by a changing climate. These areas may have more limited resources and infrastructure than urban centres to respond. Wildfire activity is expected to increase, making community preparation more important than ever. Housing, wellness, community resilience, community and Indigenous self-determination, and emergency planning are all substantial concerns. Despite these challenges, with the right tools and resources, there are practical and accessible ways for everyone in a community to build wildfire resilience.
This handbook aims to support community wildfire resilience. It provides information and resources to get the whole community – from children to Elders – involved in wildfire-resilient practices and planning.
The resources in the PDFs are also available as single file downloads, where relevant, throughout the handbook! The flower icon on this page indicates an activity is intended for children.
About the Handbook
What is discussed in this resource?
This handbook compliments existing resources, such as the role of fire departments, FireSmart, the BC Wildfire Service, and other organisations involved in fire protection and wildfire management. By focusing on the actions that neighbourhoods, community groups, and individual households can take, we encourage all members in a community to see themselves as part of making their homes and community more resilient to wildfire.
How can I use this handbook?
The handbook’s information and activities are an invitation that communities can adapt to fit their specific contexts and challenges. Those who provide community services, such as educators or community centre staff, may want to distribute the handbook, activity book, or individual resources. More broadly, for those who want to support their community and do something to make their homes more resilient to wildfire, but aren’t sure where or how to start, we hope this resource is an engagement tool and a starting point for action.
🔥Why talk about wildfire?
Wildfires are the result of human, non-human, and environmental factors. The B.C. Wildfire Service estimates that approximately 60% of wildfires are caused by lightning strikes. Other wildfires are due to human activities, such as open burning, cigarette disposal, arson, and industrial factors. Climate changes such as longer drought periods, higher temperatures, more intense storms, and lower snowpacks that melt more quickly are leading to intensified and longer wildfire seasons.
Author
This page is part of a PICS-funded project, Building Climate Resilience in Rural & Remote Communities. The project is centred around collaborations that bridge climate strategies and policies in British Columbia with Indigenous and community-driven expertise. It focuses on low-carbon resilience in housing, technical systems, and community planning.
Research Partner
As a step towards Indigenous self- governance, the First Nations Housing and Infrastructure Council (FNHIC) delivers housing and infrastructure programs for First Nations in B.C. They provide comprehensive services that promote self- determination, organizational growth, and transformation, ensuring that no First Nation is left behind.
Acknowledgements
The project team would like to thank the following people for their guidance and support in completing this project:
- Gil Davies, West Moberly First Nations building manager, and West Moberly Chief and Council, who contributed so thoroughly through their comments, advice, and consistent participation in our workshops.
- James Bourget (RDH Building Science) for sharing his knowledge and guidance on fire resilient building materials at our webinars.
- Niki Lindstrom for her dedication as a collaborator and champion on this project.
- Patrick Michell (retired Chief of T’eqt”aqtn’mux, former Rebuild Director for Lytton First Nation) for his willingness to provide support, guidance, and knowledge.
We also want to acknowledge the many attendees of our webinar series, interviews, and focus groups, who saw this project come into reality and offered feedback along the way.
- Natalie Blair, Owner of Deadman Acres, a homestead and agricultural tourism business in the Thompson-Nicola Region
- Michael Brauer, Professor in the School of Population and Public Health at UBC
- Emily Brigham, Associate Professor of Respirology at UBC, MD and Respirologist, and Research Scientist with Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute
- Tarina Colledge, Manager of Emergency Management at the Fraser Valley Regional District and Chair of the BC Association of Emergency Managers
- Anita Ely, Environmental Health Officer at Interior Health
- Angela Eykelbosh, Environmental Health Scientist at Island Health – Vancouver Island Health Authority
- Alya Govorchin, Research Analyst at First Nations Health Authority
- Sarah Henderson, Scientific Director, Environmental Health at the BC Centre for Disease Control
- Risé Johansen, Founding Chairperson of the Chinook Emergency Response Society
- Elijah McKenty, Fire Chief of the Cortes Island Fire Department
- Jenna Noppen, Emergency and Safety Manager for Musqueam Indian Band and former Manager of the Sumas First Nation Emergency Management Department
- Ivor Norlin, Director of Public Health at Interior Health
- Gordon Peterson, President of Knutsford Community Response Society
- Sarah Robinson, Veterinarian and Postdoctoral Researcher in Zoonotic Disease, Wildfire Health, and One Health
- Cathy Semchuk, Emergency Program Coordinator and Emergency Support Services Director for the Shuswap Region
- Paige Thurston, Program Manager at Living Lakes Canada
- Rik Valentine, Leader and Co-founder of the Argenta Fire Brigade
- Annie VanMetre, Rancher in Ootsa Lake and member of the local Cattlemen’s group
- James Whitehead, Special Projects Manager at the SFU Centre for Dialogue’s Mitigating Wildfire Initiative and former Firefighter with BC Wildfire Services
- Anonymous contributors
The Fire Resilient Communities Handbook would not be the tool that it is today without the contributions, kindness, and expertise of those who collaborated and contributed to this project. Thank you.
Principles of Resilience
Wildfire resilience is distinct to each community, meaning every community may need distinct supports and tools to support their resilience. A community’s infrastructure, residents, capacity, and values will all influence fire resilience. Resilience facilitates recovery, empowering individuals to support each other and strengthen their community’s capacity to respond to the ongoing, urgent challenges posed by wildfires.
The handbook aims to:
- Be engaging for everyone, at every age.
- Serve as a resource guide for housing, maintenance, capital, infrastructure and other managers, residents, and homeowners.
- Provide practical information on fire mitigation strategies.
- Be a source of capacity-building ideas, activities, and programs for communities.
This handbook is grounded in the principle of building resilience for future generations, drawing on the knowledge and experiences of the generations who came before us. Building fire-resilient communities for future generations should be rooted in past, present, and future innovations. The resources in this guide aim to acknowledge and honour Indigenous knowledges, building styles, and governance systems.
🔥Fire Preparedness Tip:
Interested in information about what wildfire is and how fire spreads? Check out FireSmart BC’s FireSmart Begins With You Guide.
The Wheel of Community Fire Resilience
Community fire resilience begins with systems of shared responsibility. Every generation plays a role, and by working collectively, communities can create holistic systems that protect the intersecting risks associated with fire.
Community resilience includes practices that are embedded into many aspects of community life, governance, and planning. As a result, community resilience is interwoven with other risks, concerns, and the wellbeing of the community. The Fire Resilience Wheel aims to capture these related topics. It can be customised to more precisely represent individual communities and First Nations’ priorities.
The inner segments of the wheel represent broad, overlapping aspects of fire resilience. The outer segments include prompts and examples of those broad categories, chosen through community engagement sessions. They are not exhaustive.
Other groups have previously used wheels as a framework for understanding community fire resilience. For example, see the work of the Fire Adapted Learning Communities Network, a separate US-based organisation that supports connections between communities working on wildfire resilience.
📄: Wheel of Fire Resilience
Download the PDF for printable, customisable wheels.
Stories of Fire Resilience: The Fire Resilient Map
Communities all over the province are engaging in fire preparedness activities. Share stories about places in your community that contribute to fire resilience by adding a pin to The Fire Resilient Map.
Responses are moderated and may not appear immediately after submission. Please ensure that you have permission to share any stories you post to the map.
Some of these submissions are from British Columbia FireSmart’s Success Stories.
Handbook Sections
Community Planning Resources
A toolkit of interactive resources and information to help households and communities prepare for wildfires.
Supporting Wellbeing During Smoky Days
Information about simple and cost-effective measures for communities to protect themselves from wildfire smoke.
Capacity Building Resources
Funding community fire resilience
Community Planning Resources
A toolkit of interactive resources and information to help households and communities prepare for wildfires.
British Columbia Fire Resilience Calendar
Before, during, and after fire season, communities can plan for fire resilience and host events that promote fire preparedness at the household scale. The following calendar provides suggestions for important dates and potential community events to promote engagement in fire safety planning. These are examples. Every community will differ in seasonality, landscape, planning, and resources. FireSmartTM practices should be maintained year-round.
Contact Sheet
Collecting key contacts ahead of time can aid in rapid response to fires. As applicable, have the contacts for the following individuals/groups available:
- Fire Department;
- Housing Manager;
- Emergency Services;
- Fire Resilience Steward (a community leader who promotes fire resilience and supports fire preparedness activities);
- Personal emergency contact(s).
The contact sheets from the handbook can be printed to fill by hand or filled out using a PDF viewer. You could also save these contacts on your phone if possible.
Note: to print out the contact sheet at the correct size, set the Scale (%) in the print settings to ‘Actual’ instead of ‘Fit to Printable Area’
‘Go’ Bag
Useful for more than just fires, a ‘go’ bag is a collection of supplies a household keeps ready in a portable kit in case of emergency. They can save time and stress in case of an urgent need to evacuate. Even if you do not have the means or space for a dedicated bag of separate items, being aware of where these items are in your living space can make evacuations more efficient.
In addition to the general list of items below, go bags should be adapted to fit a household’s health, cultural, and personal needs. As examples:
- Identification may include a passport, driver’s license, health card, birth certificate, permanent resident card, visa, and/or status card.
- The First Nations Health Authority’s example kit, made by their Vancouver Coastal Health Emergency Management Team, includes Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish) canned sockeye salmon, plant medicines, and a sage & cedar bundle. Different nations may have culturally significant plants and/or medications that could be included in a kit.
Fire Preparedness Tip: In addition to packing supplies, Technical Safety BC has information on preparations you should consider for electrical and gas safety. Unplugging non-essential electrical appliances, turning off valves, shutting off the water, and clearing combustible material near propane storage tanks can minimise the impact of fires. If your natural gas is supplied by Fortis BC or Pacific Northern Gas, do not shut off your natural gas. If you are on propane or your gas is supplied by another entity, shut of the main gas supply.
Emergency Preparedness Kits
It may not always be possible or desirable to evacuate. Emergency preparedness kits will have many of the same items as a go bag, but are intended for sheltering in place during an emergency situation. In addition to the items in a go bag, they should include:
- Food for at least three days. In remote areas with limited access and exit routes, food for 7-10 days is ideal.
- A one-week supply of water, which should be replaced once a year.
- Garbage bags and towelettes.
- Lantern and fuel for light. Be sure that any fuel is stored outside and away from a heat source.
- Bush cooking stove for cooking outside. Be sure that any fuel is stored outside and away from a heat source.
Supply lists for kits have been produced by the Government of BC and the Red Cross (page 11 of the PDF). You may need additional supplies if you keep animals or have specialised equipment or tools with maintenance needs.
Fire Preparedness Tip: Once you’ve put together your kits, it’s important to check on them regularly. You’ll want to ensure that any perishables haven’t spoiled, that all equipment still works (e.g., you may need to replace old batteries), and that your information is up-to-date. Set yourself a reminder on your calendar if you use one!
Community Tool Sheds
Enacting fire resilient strategies often requires access to physical tools. A community tool shed, or tool library, can provide community members with access to tools they might not otherwise have, which can help everyone maintain a fire resilient community. Community tool sheds often operate like a library, with sign out sheets and membership cards to keep track of shared tools. They may come from collaborations with the local public library, community center, or through grassroots initiative.
Potential items that might be in a community shed include:
- Buckets
- Gardening or hedge clippers
- Lawn mowers and grass trimmers
- Rakes
- Shovels
- Wheelbarrows
The Toronto Tool Library is an excellent example of a potential model for a community tool shed.
Map Your Community: Community Assets and Evacuation Routes
Community Asset Mapping
When planning for emergencies, an inventory of critical infrastructure can be useful to identify coordinated evacuation points, potential hubs for emergency services, and which buildings should be prioritised when funding upgrades for climate resilience. For example, critical infrastructure buildings might be the first to receive formal FireSmart assessments.
Which locations are identified as critical infrastructure is community-dependent and should be informed by community values and priorities. Potential critical infrastructure types include:
- Animal welfare shelters;
- Cultural, community, and recreation centres;
- Fire halls;
- Halls or other large gathering places;
- Libraries;
- Museums and archives;
- Operations centres;
- Schools and other educational facilities;
- Youth centres and preschools;
Evacuation Routes
Fires may require communities to evacuate quickly and on very short notice. Mapping out potential evacuation routes ahead of time can aid with safe and lower-stress evacuations.
Steps to mapping your community:
- Grab a blank or grid piece of paper. You could also print/annotate a conventional reference map of your community if you have one handy.
- Start with key landmarks that are important to you, such as your home, key landscape features like a river or mountain etc., and add them to your map.
- Next, identify fire halls, cooling centres, and/or safe shelter sites that you might evacuate to in the event of a fire.
- Identify the location of exit points (i.e., the start of the highway or another road out of town).
- Some areas within a community may be more vulnerable to fire than others i.e., if they have an abundance of dry, uncleared vegetation that could serve as fuel for a fire. Identify these areas to ensure your evacuation routes avoid them whenever possible, as they may be blocked off or other inaccessible in the event of a fire.
- Based on the location of your home and key sites for potential evacuation, determine and draw out viable, safe evacuation routes.
Keep your map easily accessible (perhaps in your go-bag!) in case of evacuation.
This exercise might also reveal areas where community planning could reduce the vulnerability of community assets and infrastructures (i.e., through hosting regular vegetation clearing events or other fire preparedness tasks).
Fire Preparedness Tip: If you have animals in your care (horses, chickens, livestock etc.), you may want to consider special arrangements for their relocation. Some regional districts have emergency plans for livestock (e.g., Alberni-Clayoquot Regional District’s emergency plan for farms, the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako’s resources) that may be applicable or helpful when planning for non-commercial animals. Additionally, registering for a Premises ID with the provincial government allows emergency responders to properly document who to reach out to during emergencies.
Other Community Planning Resources
The following resources are not produced or maintained by the project.
Three Features of a Wildfire-Ready Community
Intact Centre on Climate Adaptation at the University of Waterloo (2023)
This one-page document provides three ways to plan a wildfire-resilient community through protecting structures, designing the community to reduce risk, and proactively designing emergency responses.
Wildland Urban Interface Community Preparedness Digital Tool
National Indigenous Fire Safety Council (2023)
This tool identifies 18 community roles and/or groups who have a part to play in wildfire preparedness, outlining what they should do before, during, and after a wildfire. Each role is represented by an icon designed by Anishinaabe Onyota’a:aka artist Tsista Kennedy.
The recommendations within the tool are based on a report from the University of Waterloo.
The Fires Awakened Us – Wildfire Report
Jocelyn Stacey, Crystal Verhaeghe, and Emma Feltes, produced for the Tŝilhqot’in Nation (2019)
This report reflects on the Tŝilhqot’in Nation’s experiences of the 2017 wildfire season. As shared by the Nation’s Tribal Chairman, Nitsil’in Joe Alphonse, “we hope this report can be used to improve emergency management in other First Nation communities while also maintaining their rightful jurisdiction”. Community planners may find the calls to action on pages 12 to 20 of the document particularly useful.
Wildfires? Here’s what you need to know about electrical and gas safety
Technical Safety BC (2021)
This short blog post provides guidance for homeowners and businesses to maintain electrical and gas safety if you are on evacuation alert or evacuation order. There are also precautions to take when returning home after an evacuation.
Supporting Wellbeing During Smoky Days
Communities across British Columbia are finding practical and creative ways to protect themselves from wildfire smoke. From building your own portable air cleaners to establishing dedicated cleaner-air spaces in community gathering spaces, there are simple and cost-effective measures that you and your community can take to protect your well-being and health.
Air Quality Primer
Why does wildfire smoke matter?
Wildfire smoke can:
- Cause immediate and long-term adverse health effects.
- Travel long distances and can last for days to weeks.
- Infiltrate homes through cracks, vents, doors, windows, chimneys etc.
Among the many pollutants in wildfire smoke, tiny airborne particles called fine particulate matter (PM2.5) pose the greatest risk to human, animal, and plant health. These extremely small particles (smaller than 2.5 micrometers) can travel deep into the lungs and even enter the bloodstream.
Extensive research shows that PM2.5 can reduce lung function and cause serious health problems, including bronchitis, cognitive decline, heart failure, and premature death.
Who is most at risk?
Those at higher risk may include:
- Older adults, infants, and pregnant individuals.
- Outdoor workers, athletes.
- Individuals living in rural or remote areas.
- Individuals with pre-existing heart, lung, or chronic health conditions.
- Individuals with lower socio-economic status (e.g. income, housing, education).
However, there is no safe level of exposure to wildfire smoke. Even healthy adults risk adverse health effects after brief exposure.
How do I monitor air quality?
Canada uses the Air Quality Health Index (AQHI) to measure overall health risk from air pollution on a scale from 1 (low risk) to 10+ (very high risk).
To monitor current or forecasted air quality near you, useful resources include:
- Weather forecast apps, available on most mobile devices.
- WeatherCan App for real-time updates and alerts.
- AQmap for local air quality monitor readings paired with layers that display wildfire and wind information.
- BC Air Quality Warning Alerts to subscribe to notifications during times of degraded air quality.
Forecasts may not always accurately reflect local conditions. Trust your instincts – if smoke is noticeable through sight or smell, take precautions.
How do I remove particulate matter?
Using a High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filter is one of the most effective tools for protecting yourself from fine particulate matter.
Tips for cleaner air:
- If possible, use an air cleaner with a HEPA and carbon filter to remove both smoke particles and odours.
- If you don’t have access to HEPA-level cleaners, you can make a low-cost filter using a tutorial developed by the BREATHE Project.
- Ozone-generating ‘air purifiers’ can worsen indoor air quality. The California Air Resources Board keeps a list of ‘purifiers’ that intentionally omit ozone.
- Replace filters regularly if they appear dark or dusty.
- Vacuums with a HEPA filter may help prevent stirring up indoor particles.
Need help choosing an air cleaner? Try this simple step-by-step guide.
How does smoke infiltrate homes, and what can individuals do to stop it?
The best way to protect your health is by reducing exposure to wildfire smoke.
Fully sealing a home against wildfire smoke can be difficult and expensive, especially in older buildings. A more practical option is to designate a cleaner air room: a space such as the bedroom or basement designed to provide protection from excess smoke inhalation.
The room should preferably include:
- A portable air cleaner with a HEPA filter to remove particles.
- No filters? Block vents and other gaps with towels or cloth to limit smoke indoors.
- If you don’t have access to HEPA-level cleaners, you can make a low-cost filter using a tutorial developed by the BREATHE Project.
- Extra HEPA air filters. Remember, not all filters are made equally. HEPA filters are certified to remove 99.97% of particles 0.3 microns or larger.
- Taped or sealed windows and doors to limit smoke entry.
- If available, an activated carbon filter to reduce odors and gases.
Seek medical care for symptoms such as chest discomfort, shortness of breath, severe coughing or wheezing, dizziness, or worsening mental health.
Community Planning to Support Air Quality
Drawing primarily from the District of Chetwynd, West Moberly First Nations, and Saulteau First Nations Extreme Heat Mapping Assessment and Extreme Heat Response Plan , this section suggests potential actions when planning for wildfire smoke safety.
Preparing for Wildfire Smoke
Inform & Collaborate
- Find wildfire preparedness plans and resources from your municipality, regional district, regional health authority, or Nation government.
- Connect with others in your community to share information.
- Locate your nearest cleaner air space through your local health authority. Often, these clean air spaces are located in community halls, health centres, libraries, or recreation centres.
- Advocate for a cleaner air space one in a communal facility if none exists.
Educate & Raise Awareness
- Share resources to help protect yourself and your family, neighbours, community, and tenants stay safe from wildfire smoke.
- Encourage schools, care homes, and other communal spaces to draft “smoke plans”.
- Promote smoke safety: limit outdoor time, use masks, set up cleaner air rooms, and check air quality.
Monitor Air Quality
- Use tools like the WeatherCAN app or AQmap.
- Encourage residents to install apps or sign up for alerts.
- If possible, install local indoor/outdoor air monitors.
Responding During Wildfire Smoke
Keep Indoor Air Cleaner
- Close windows and doors (if temperatures permit).
- Seal gaps with towels, tape, or plastic sheets.
- Use a HEPA air filter or a DIY box fan filter.
Community Support and Logistics
- Help transport higher risk individuals to safe, cool, cleaner spaces.
- Check on vulnerable neighbours and share steps to reduce smoke exposure.
- If available, go to the designated cleaner air space.
- Help transport those in need to safe, cleaner-air locations.
Take Precautions When Outside
- Drink plenty of water to help reduce symptoms.
- Wear properly fitted N95 or KN95 masks.
- If possible, avoid heavy exertion outdoors in smoky conditions.
Other Wildfire Smoke & Air Quality Resources
The following resources are not produced or maintained by the project.
A public health companion for ASHRAE Guideline 44: Protecting building occupants from smoke during wildfire and prescribed burn events
National Collaborating Centre for Environmental Health (2025)
This guide is a companion to a technical document for engineers and facility managers trying to keep indoor air clean during wildfire smoke events. It provides a guide for developing smoke-readiness plans for buildings. The checklists and one-page summary in the appendices may be particularly useful as a reference.
Wildfire Smoke
BC Centre for Disease Control (BCCDC)
The BCCDC’s webpage about wildfire smoke includes infographics developed to support Indigenous peoples and communities, information about the health effects of wildfire smoke, and suggestions for protecting yourself from wildfire smoke.
Capacity Building & Funding Resources
Getting started with fire-resilient practices can be challenging, especially without dedicated funding or support. This section offers some curated funding and capacity building resources for rural and remote communities in BC.
Click on a card for more details about the funding program.
Contact Us
This handbook is a ‘living site’! We welcome your feedback and ideas. The handbook will be continually updated and improved based on community contributions and feedback.
FireSmart, Intelli-feu and other associated Marks are trademarks of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc.