Kamloops Firefighters will be going door to door to about 400 homes in the Heffley Creek, Pineview Valley and the Westsyde areas over the next three weeks.

They’re rolling out the FireSmart program once again to educate people on how to protect their homes in the event of a wildfire.

Fire Chief Mike Adams says there are a number of things you can do at home.

“Something as simple as moving combustibles away from the homes, keeping the grass cut and removing any debris and any trees that are close proximity to the homes,” he said. “We’ll be offering opportunities to do assessments.”

“We’ll also have an opportunity if people were to do the prescriptions, to help them dispose of some of the debris.”

Adams adds firefighters do their best to mitigate the risks on public lands each year, but on private property the responsibility usually falls on the property owner.

“This program is designed to get the information out there, offer an opportunity to assist to try and get some traction so people realize that it is a partnership between your city, the fire department and you as a property owner,” Adams added.

And he believes after two historic wildfire seasons in the province, most people understand the importance of being FireSmart.

“I would imagine that most people in the city of Kamloops are very keenly aware of the interface that we live in,” he said.

“They’ll buy into this program and continue to do their part to make sure that the city of Kamloops and the people in Kamloops remain safe in the upcoming fire season.”

You can get more information about the FireSmart program online or at Fire Hall 1 on Summit Drive.