Four ways to build wildfire resiliency in BC

By Megan Czerpak

Learning from individual experiences and moving toward societal responsibility can help, say these UBC researchers

Wildfires have long shaped BC’s landscapes, but as they grow more frequent and intense, their effects reach far beyond the immediate fire zones. This growing challenge calls for collective action.

Experts at the Centre for Wildfire Coexistence at UBC’s Faculty of Forestry are at the forefront, working on holistic ways to tackle the root cause of BC’s extreme wildfires. Led by Dr. Lori Daniels and Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais, they aim to proactively adapt forestry and land management practices to restore healthy and resilient forests.

Other researchers at UBC are also tackling the issue from different angles. Below, three of these experts offer insights into how BC can build a more wildfire-resilient future.

1. Shift our mindset on how we view and respond to wildfires

Maya Daurio, a socio-cultural anthropologist and doctoral candidate in UBC’s Faculty of Arts, calls for a collective psychological shift to become more resilient as a society to wildfires. “We need to accept a certain lack of control and come to terms with loss and devastation,” Daurio explains. “Human life is constantly intersecting with ecological and geological processes. Recognizing our place in these impermanent systems helps us in that process of adjusting.”

In addition to forest practices that help us coexist with wildfires, we need to adapt to life with ongoing wildfire events.

Daurio’s research on the cascading effects of wildfires, informed by her extensive fieldwork interviewing survivors of the 2020 Cameron Peak Fire in Colorado (which destroyed her family’s home of six generations) reveals the complex and varied ways people are impacted by fire events, both on an individual and societal level. By listening to those who have lived through the experience, we gain insight into the profound and often overlooked social, emotional, and psychological tolls of these events. These individual narratives are crucial for shaping policies and responses that address the true, multifaceted effects of wildfires.

In addition to the immediate destruction of homes and land, other consequences such as post-fire flooding, water contamination and widespread smoke inhalation affect communities far beyond the immediate fire zones. “We need to think of wildfire as something society must contend with,” she says. “It’s not limited to those with homes in fire-prone landscapes.”

By viewing wildfires as a societal challenge in addition to an individual one, we can better prepare for their complex consequences.

2. Get tougher on fire-resilient building codes

Dr. Patrick Baylis, Assistant Professor at UBC Vancouver’s School of Economics, emphasizes the need for stronger building codes to enhance wildfire resilience. In addition to saving lives, building codes can help us become more economically resilient to wildfires; the economic loss of the recent LA wildfires, for example, is now estimated at over $250 billion.  

Dr. Baylis’s research highlights that homes built to fire-resistant standards are significantly less likely to be destroyed in wildfires. In California, for example, homes constructed after the implementation of fire-resistant building codes following the 1991 Oakland firestorm saw a 40 per cent reduction in the risk of destruction compared to older homes in the same area.

These findings show that mandating fire-resistant building codes could dramatically reduce property loss and the cost of wildfire recovery. For BC, adopting similar standards would help protect new homes in high-risk areas, ensuring communities are better prepared for future wildfires.

3. Regulate development in fire-prone areas

Dr. Werner Antweiler, Associate Professor at UBC Vancouver’s Sauder School of Business, argues that governments must play a stronger role in regulating development in fire and flood-prone areas. “We’ve been building homes in high-risk areas for decades,” Dr. Antweiler says. “Now, the cost of protecting these properties is growing, and without proper guidelines for new developments, we’re not going to be equipped to mitigate the rising risks.”

Dr. Antweiler points to a disconnect between the municipal-level decisions that allow housing development in high risk zones and the provincial and federal governments that bear the financial burden of fire suppression and bailing out unprotected homeowners. Dr. Antweiler advocates for stronger regulation to limit further development in these high-risk zones and agrees with Dr. Baylis that government-mandated building codes will ensure that new builds are more resilient to future damage.

4. Create incentives for homeowners to follow FireSmart guidelines and other fire mitigation strategies

Beyond regulatory reform, Dr. Antweiler stresses the importance of individual action to build wildfire resilience. He urges homeowners to take advantage of FireSmart BC, which offers free home audits and practical, low-cost strategies to protect homes from fire hazards.

“Homeowners should follow FireSmart guidelines—creating defensible space, removing flammable materials near structures and using fire-resistant building materials,” Dr. Antweiler advises. “These measures, while relatively simple, can significantly reduce the risk of fire damage.”

Dr. Antweiler also highlights the critical role insurance companies can play in encouraging fire smart practices. “Efficient insurance markets can help by charging homeowners more if their homes are in fire-prone areas or are insufficiently fire-proofed, and lowering rates for those who take preventative measures or live in low-risk areas,” he says.

Over time, these incentives can encourage homeowners to move to safer areas or implement necessary fire mitigation steps. However, he warns against overregulating insurance companies to the point that they withdraw from risky areas entirely, leaving homeowners under-insured and shifting the financial burden to taxpayers.

With respect to mitigation, Dr. Baylis’s field research in Oregon showed that even small subsidies, such as $250, significantly increased homeowner participation in such programs. Homeowners who took steps like trimming trees, removing dead plants and using fire-resistant materials in their landscaping contributed to reducing fire risks, particularly when homes were near dense vegetation.

In BC, where participation in FireSmart programs remains low, financial incentives could be key to boosting homeowner involvement in proactive fire mitigation efforts. For instance, Rossland in the West Kootenay region offers up to $1,000 to homeowners for reducing fire hazards around their properties.

Dr. Baylis’s research demonstrates that homeowners are responsive to rebate offers, although these subsidies are not yet widespread. Expanding these incentive programs, Dr. Baylis suggests, could help protect homes and improve overall community resilience.

Megan Czerpak is a freelance writer for UBC Brand and Marketing. This article was published on February 18, 2025. Feel free to republish the text of this article, but please follow our guidelines for attribution and seek any necessary permissions before doing so. Please note that images are not included in this blanket licence.