As the days grow longer and the snow begins to melt into impassable puddles and mud slicks all over our beautiful town, it’s natural to start thinking of the spring season just around the corner. While you do, spare a moment or two to consider what you might be able to do with your property to make it a little bit smarter. FireSmarter, to be specific.

It seems odd to be concerned about forest fires when the mercury still dips below minus ten degrees most mornings, but a quick glance to our southern horizon ought to provide all the inspiration required. The FireSmart project is thinning and burning away, reducing fuel in the forest that runs right up to Jasper’s boundaries. The work will be done for the season soon, but closer to home it’s just about to begin.

The FireSmart program has been embraced by many Jasperites, and with good reason. Together, the municipality and Parks Canada have done a lot of work to protect the townsite, working on the Pyramid Bench, around Lake Edith and most recently, south along Highway 93. The job is not yet finished, as the numbers cited by Fire Chief Greg VanTighem and FireSmart project manager Al Westhaver indicate. The figure that really jumps out, however, is the percentage to which properties within the town boundaries are considered “fire smart”. According to these officials, Jasper itself is only 30 per cent of the way towards being completely FireSmart. Contrast that with the Lake Edith area, which is all the way to 90 per cent. Of the work that has been done, VanTighem says that it is concentrated on municipally controlled green space. A vast majority of private homes, in other words, have work to do.

Not to be overly alarmist, but the dry winter has provided dangerous conditions for the start of the fire season. This is not just a Jasper problem, of course. The provincial government moved the official start of fire-related restrictions up one month for 2006 due to the lack of precipitation. Westhaver told council that only about one quarter of the typical moisture fell over the past few months. Unless things change between now and the start of summer, we could be looking at a long summer trapped in a tinder box, dreading each electrical storm that passes by.

The steps to take are not overly complex or onerous on the individual homeowner. The provincial FireSmart guidelines are readily available, and VanTighem and the fire department will be focussing on a door-to-door campaign in the months ahead to inform people about what they can do to make sure their homes are safe.

Parks and the town are well aware of the risks that are presented by our idyllic location in this valley bottom. Now, it’s time as Jasperites to do our part.