The Town of Princeton will receive $400,000 worth of provincial grants to continue its FireSmart program in 2023.

According to FireStart coordinator Dave Stringfellow, the money will go towards education and outreach, purchasing structure protection equipment, and wildfire mitigation work on town-owned and Crown land within Princeton’s municipal boundaries.

In a recent presentation to town council, Stringfellow highlighted some of the program’s past successes.

Since its inception in 2020, approximately 10 per cent of households have received FireSmart assessments.

Homeowners have added about $50,000 to the local economy while make their homes more resilient, buying building and landscaping materials and hiring landscaping and tree falling contractors.

These residents have received $500 rebates for those efforts.

More than 100 tonnes of wildfire fuel has been removed from residential properties.

Stringfellow said education is the key to keeping local homes safe.

Ninety-five per cent of homes lost to wildfire are not burned “by a big ball of flame coming down the hill,” but rather they ignite from embers that can travel long distances and find consumables.

The solution is “not to cut down all the trees but to “clean up the ground and clean up low lying branches.”

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Do you have something to add to this story, or something else we should report on? Email:andrea.demeer@similkameenspotlight.com