Protect | your home
Protectyour home
It is essential to prepare communities and residents to minimize the consequences in the event of a wildfire or vegetation fire threat.
In Quebec, wildfires can spread rapidly and without warning. They can endanger public safety and threaten homes and infrastructure.
By taking certain measures, you can reduce the risks associated with wildfires and protect your property. This page provides information and advice to help you prioritize the necessary actions to achieve this.
Intervention zones
The intervention zones are located within a 30-metre radius around your home and its structures. There are three priority intervention zones: the immediate zone, the intermediate zone, and the extended zone.
The home ignition zone illustrates how to reduce your home and property's vulnerability to wildfires by addressing fire risks in each of the three priority zones, starting with the most vulnerable—the immediate zone—and working outward.
Immediate Zone
(0 to 1.5 metres)
It is crucial to eliminate all combustible materials within this very close range of a building and any attached structures, such as a deck or patio. Additional actions can be taken to reduce the home's flammability, such as using fire-resistant materials, cleaning gutters, and installing a spark arrestor on the chimney.
Intermediate Zone
(1.5 to 10 metres)
The goal of landscaping this area near the home is to create an environment where fire cannot spread easily. It is important to select fire-resistant plants and materials. Avoid conifers and mulch, maintain the property regularly, and store firewood more than 10 metres away from the home.
Extended Zone
(10 to 30 metres)
The purpose of managing this area around the home is to reduce the potential intensity of a fire as it approaches the residence. It is recommended to space out coniferous trees and prune their lower branches, as well as regularly remove fallen branches, dry grass, and needles to eliminate surface fuels.
How fire spreads to a home
Learn about the striking differences between an unprotected home and a home that has implemented mitigation measures. Through concrete examples, discover how simple actions can slow fire progression and reduce the risk of fire spreading to a home.
How Can a Fire Spread to a Home?
Combustible materials allow fires to spread and increase in intensity. The main combustibles that could threaten your home include vegetation and dead organic matter (trees, branches, shrubs, grass, piles of wood), as well as flammable materials and structures such as decks, patios, and sheds.
Direct flames
By convection, flames can reach a home when they ignite other flammable objects along their path.
Extreme heat
Thermal radiation from flames can be intense enough to ignite combustible materials in a home. Even from 30 metres away, the extreme heat generated by flames can be strong enough to cause damage.
Embers and sparks
Embers and sparks can be carried by the wind up to two kilometres away. They may land on the roof or other flammable parts of the property and ignite fires.
12 actions to protect your home
The following tips set out measures to help you reduce the risk of wildfires and protect your home.
Clean your gutters and roof
Clean your gutters and roof of debris such as leaves, softwood needles and branches.
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Enclose the space beneath your decks
Close off spaces under balconies with non-flammable materials to prevent firebrands from entering.
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Install a spark arrestor on the chimney
Install a spark arrester with a maximum opening of 1 cm square on the chimney.
Choosing the right exterior cladding
Choose exterior cladding with superior fire resistance.
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Closing the eaves
Make sure that the eaves are closed and that the vents are screened to prevent embers and embers from entering.
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Avoid flammable materials in landscaping
Avoid using bark mulch or other flammable materials in landscaping.
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Mow the lawn to keep it under 10 cm
Keep the lawn free of debris, branches and dead leaves and mow to a maximum length of 10 cm.
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Prioritize Deciduous Trees
Deciduous Trees contain more moisture and burn less easily, whereas conifers, which are rich in resin, ignite quickly and spread the fire more intensely.
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Maintain a distance between trees
Maintain a distance of 3 m between each conifer in the extended area.
Tools & Resources
This document will help you to familiarize yourself with the dynamics of wildfires, understand how a wildfire can spread to a home and identify priority mitigation measures to protect your home.
To deepen your knowledge about protecting homes against vegetation fires, download the “FireSmart Begins at Home” guide, created by our partner FireSmart Canada.
Protect your home against vegetation fires by following the recommendations of the “Protection begins at home” construction guide, created by our partner FireSmart Canada.