Slave Lake-area residents will get a chance to see building materials put to the test next weekend as Home Hardware and the Lesser Slave Regional Fire Service host a live Burn Material Showcase.

The free event is scheduled for Sunday, Sept. 20, from 10 a.m. to noon at Lesser Slave Regional Fire Service Hall 1, 901 Caribou Trail NW.

The showcase will feature live comparison burns demonstrating how different building materials respond when exposed to the same heat and flames, including comparisons between fire-rated materials and non-fire-resistant alternatives.

The event is intended to give homeowners an opportunity to see the differences for themselves rather than simply reading about fire resistance.

Residents will also be able to speak with vendors and industry professionals, ask questions about building materials and their homes, and learn more about ways to reduce wildfire risk.

The Municipal District of Lesser Slave River has listed the event as free and open to the public, with no registration required.
The fire-resistance demonstrations also come with a particularly relevant message in the Slave Lake area, where wildfire preparedness remains an important consideration.

Alberta says FireSmart is designed to help residents and communities reduce the risk and impacts of wildfire. Provincial guidance emphasizes that homes can be vulnerable not only to direct flames but also to embers carried ahead of a wildfire.

That makes the materials used to build and maintain a home one part of a larger wildfire-prevention picture.
Alberta FireSmart guidance recommends paying particular attention to the area immediately around a home.

The province’s wildfire guidance advises residents to remove leaves, twigs, branches and other combustible debris from roofs and gutters, and to keep potentially flammable materials away from the structure.

Building materials can also make a difference. Alberta FireSmart material notes that non-combustible exterior materials such as stucco, metal siding and brick offer greater resistance to wildfire than more combustible options such as wood or vinyl siding.

FireSmart guidance also identifies roofing as an important consideration and recommends ignition-resistant roofing materials.

The province has also advised Slave Lake-area residents to keep grass short, prune trees and remove low-hanging branches, while avoiding highly combustible bark or pine-needle mulch within 10 metres of a home.

The Sept. 20 showcase will provide an opportunity to see one part of that equation firsthand.

For homeowners considering renovations, replacing siding or roofing, or simply looking for ways to make their property more resistant to fire, organizers say the demonstrations are intended to provide information that residents can take home with them.

William Hetherington
Lakeside Leader