FireSmart Community Funding and Supports

FireSmart Community Funding and Supports (FCFS) provides up to $300,000 each year to high-risk local governments and First Nations in BC. FCFS funds FireSmart planning and activities that reduce the community’s risk from wildfire. Additional funding is available to Regional Districts. 

Approximately $71 million has been dispersed to 265 communities from this fund since the program was launched in 2019. 

Eligible activities include:  

• Funding for FireSmart positions to build capacity and support FireSmart initiatives.  
• Public education and outreach to support community awareness and and shared responsibility.  
• Community planning, including Community Wildfire Resiliency Plans (CWRPs) and various FireSmart assessments. 
• Fuel management activities within First Nations land or publicly owned land.  
• Development considerations, including the establishment or revision of wildfire development permit areas and incorporation of FireSmart principles into official community plans (OCPs). 
• Interagency cooperation, including Community FireSmart and Resiliency Committees  to strengthen collaboration between key partners at the local or regional level. can plan collaborative for FireSmart activities, including multi-jurisdictional fuel management around communities.  
• Emergency planning, including purchase of FireSmart structure protection equipment.  
• Training and cross-training.  
• FireSmart projects for critical infrastructure and emergency operations centres, community assets, culturally significant sites, and green spaces.  
• Local rebate programs for residential property or homeowners that complete eligible FireSmart Assessments and activities. 

The Union of BC Municipalities (UBCM) works with the BC Wildfire Service, First Nations' Emergency Services Society (FNESS), and the Forest Enhancement Society of BC (FESBC) to administer the FireSmart Community Funding and Supports program and deliver FireSmart activities as supported by the BC FireSmart Committee.  

For more information on the application process, visit FireSmart Community Funding and Supports | Union of BC Municipalities.

For First Nation's communities looking for support navigating the process, contact: 
FireSmart@fness.bc.ca 

​

^{_{FireSmart, Intelli-feu and other associated Marks are trademarks of the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.}}