Structure Defence will discuss prevention principles and mitigation strategies at their booth and present on Oct. 16 and 17.
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In B.C., fireproofing your home has never been more critical. Structure Defence is a new North Shuswap-based company that consults with homeowners to protect their property from wildfires.
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“We started this based on our experience fighting wildfires, being around communities that have been exposed to wildfire, and seeing that there are things that you can do beforehand,” said co-founder Warren Gray.
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“We wanted to help people prioritize things that they can do to make their home more wildfire resilient. We’ve definitely seen that there’s a spot for people to improve, and we want to help.”
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Westcoast Homes
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Gray and the company’s other co-founder, Craig Nygard, are both NFPA-certified firefighters. Drawing on their experience, they use internationally recognized principles to help homeowners and builders identify wildfire vulnerabilities and turn mitigation strategies into practical steps for protecting properties.
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They started the company earlier this year, says Gray, after seeing the devastation wrought in B.C. by this and previous years’ wildfire seasons.
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Despite burning less land than the province’s record-setting 2023 wildfire season, 2026 has been one of the province’s most destructive years for homes and other structures, with more than 500 damaged or destroyed by mid-August.
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“The Bush Creek East fire here, in 2023, was kind of a big eye-opener in terms of something happening right in our community,” Gray said.
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“It’s a whole different thing when we’re out doing it in somebody else’s community,” Nygard said. “But seeing in happen so close to home and personally experiencing the devastation really kicked us into high gear to get something going.”
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Protecting a house from wildfire may increasingly begin with prevention, long before smoke appears on the horizon.
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“One of the things that we try to impress upon people is that the more time you have, the more options you have,” Nygard said.
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“If you’re leaving your decisions or your plan until the last minute, instead of having options, now you basically have priorities. We try to make it as proactive as possible. ‘Wildfire preparation starts before the wildfire arrives’ is one of the big messages that we try to get across.”
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Some things people can do is remove high-priority wildfire hazards from within five feet of a home.
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These include combustible material like patio furniture, propane tanks, gas cans, and wood. “If you have bark mulch nearby and you have time, replace that with gravel,” Nygard said.
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Cedar trees, sometimes used as “privacy fencing,” can be hazardous. “You grow the cedar hedge up and now you can’t see your neighbours. Those are extremely flammable, and they put off a lot of embers.”
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The company also consults on new homes and provides emergency services.
