Ontario averages over 1300 wildfires each year from Georgian Bay to Hudson’s Bay and about half of these are started by people. Every year people and property are threatened by wildland fires. Many of these fires occur in areas called the urban interface zone where homes, cottages and subdivisions are built into the forest landscape. Gravenhurst is part of this urban interface, where homes and cottages are nestled into the trees, amongst the rock and lakes. And what makes these properties so sought after, their isolation from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, also makes them at risk from wildfire.

Is your property at risk?

Yes it is!

Every year the Gravenhurst Volunteer Fire Department call volume for grass and bush fires accounts for over 20 percent of our total emergency runs. And interface fires have burned hundreds of hectares of land and in some cases have spread to destroy, sheds, homes and cottages. It can and does happen here!

FireSmart is a program from the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources that is used across North America. It provides information to help communities and homeowners to take action and protect their properties and adjacent natural resources from the risk of wildfires.

To find out if your property is at risk, look through the “Home Owners FireSmart Manual”. Then you can complete the home owner’s survey located at the back of the manual on your own property and assess the potential risk of loss due to a wildfire. You can use the risk assessment to show you where you may need to do some work to protect your home and property.

Only You Can

Prevent Forest Fires