Brazeau County is committed to helping our residents become more resilient to wildfire. Our Advanced Home Assessment Program offers personalized, on-site evaluations to identify areas around your home that could be made more FireSmart™.
How the Program Works:
- Apply: Complete the online form or call 780-514-2216 to be entered in the draw.*
- Schedule Your Assessment: If chosen, you will be contacted by email or phone. You will then need to contact your FireSmart™ representative or use the Calendly link provided to book a convenient time for your free, no-obligation advanced home assessment.
- On-Site Evaluation: A trained FireSmart™ representative will walk around your property with you, providing practical advice and recommendations on how to reduce wildfire risks around your home and within your immediate surroundings (Home Ignition Zone)
- Recommendations & Actions:
- If immediate corrective actions are identified: Our representative will discuss these with you. Once these corrective actions are completed, you will be eligible to receive a free WASP Wildfire Protection Kit.
- If no immediate actions are identified: Your home is already demonstrating good FireSmart™ principles! You will receive a free WASP Wildfire Protection Kit.
What is a WASP Wildfire Protection Kit?
The WASP Wildfire Protection Kit is designed to help protect your home from radiant heat and embers during a wildfire event. It uses your existing outdoor water source to create a protective water curtain around your home, wetting down combustible surfaces and increasing their resistance to ignition. This is a valuable tool to supplement your overall FireSmart™ efforts.
How Does It Work?
The WASP Wildfire Protection Kit includes:
- 2 Agricultural-Grade Sprinkler Heads: Specifically designed to create a broad spray pattern that covers exterior surfaces. Rated for a 33-foot spray radius.
- 2 Gutter Mount Sprinkler Brackets: Allows users to clip the sprinkler heads securely to gutters.
- 2 Fire Department Grade Hoses: To connect the sprinkler heads to your outdoor water supply (e.g., garden hose spigot). Both are 25 feet in length.
- 2 Mounting Brackets: To attach the sprinklers to your roofline or other strategic locations.
Key Operating Principles:
Water Barrier: When activated, the sprinklers create a continuous spray of water over your roof, eaves, and surrounding vegetation. This water wets down surfaces, making them less likely to ignite from embers or radiant heat.
Evaporative Cooling: The evaporation of water also helps to cool down the surfaces of your home, reducing the temperature buildup that can lead to ignition.
Embers Extinguishment: The water spray can extinguish flying embers that land on your property, a primary cause of home ignitions during wildfires.
Important Considerations for Use
- Follow Instructions: Always refer to the manufacturer's instructions included with your WASP kit for proper installation, operation, and maintenance.
- Your Water Supply: Ensure you have an adequate and reliable water supply with sufficient pressure to operate your WASP sprinklers effectively. If you rely on a well, dugout, or other private water source, remember that these systems can be impacted by power outages.
- Fire Department Structure Protection: In the event of a wildfire emergency, and when safe and feasible to do so, Drayton Valley/Brazeau County Fire Services may deploy their own resources for structure protection. This would involve the use of their pumps and portable water tanks brought to the site, independent of your home's water source. The Fire Services may also utilize your installed WASP Wildfire Protection Kit, providing water and pressure from their own pumps and portable tanks. This capability depends on the specifics of the fire situation, available resources, and operational considerations.
- Pre-Deployment: These systems are most effective when deployed before a wildfire threat becomes imminent. Typically, these systems should be installed before or during a wildfire advisory and started during an evacuation order, if safe to do so.
- Not a Guarantee: While a valuable tool, using a WASP sprinkler is not a guarantee against wildfire damage. It is one component of a comprehensive FireSmart™ plan. Continued FireSmart™ practices around your home are crucial.
- Evacuation: If an evacuation order is issued, you must leave immediately. Do not delay your departure to install or monitor your sprinkler system. Your safety is the top priority.
All entries for this program must be in no later than 25 July 2025 @ 5:00 PM. The link to the entry form is marked below.
These entries will be added to the draw, where 100 applicants will be chosen at random.
Once an advanced home assessment of the property has been completed, the immediate actions recommended by your assessor must be completed within 3 months to be eligible for the WASP Wildfire Protection Kit.
To learn more about what steps you can take now to FireSmart™ your home and about WASP Wildfire Protection Kits, please visit the links below.
*FireSmart™, Intelli-feu and other associated Marks are trademarks of Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre Inc.
https://firesmartalberta.ca/at-home/
https://www.waspwildfire.com/homeowners