Action Tree Service

Brush & Tree Removal
for Wildfire Resilience

Brush & Tree Removal for Wildfire Resilience

Any Tree Anywhere.

Fully Insured ISA Certified Arborists

We are locally owned and operated with the region’s largest fleet of lot clearing and tree removal equipment in Kelowna BC. Contact us to help make your property more fire resilient. 

What is Wildfire Resilience

The ability to withstand wildfires and their negative effects is referred to as “wildfire resilience.” It includes a variety of tactics and strategies meant to lessen the negative impact on populated communities’ susceptibility to wildfires and lessen the damaging effects of these natural occurrences.

A water bomber sprays an Okanagan hillside to prevent the spread of fire
Dead leaves catch fire near a home in West Kelowna

Kelowna’s Susceptibility To Wildfires

The City of Kelowna, though a beautiful lakeside city, is unfortunately susceptible to wildfires. Kelowna and most of the Okanagan Valley, which are situated in close proximity to coniferous forests and grasslands, are at greater risk because wildfires are able to spread from these natural areas into populated areas. Coniferous forests, or chaparral, are more susceptible to wildfires. Accumulated dead and dry vegetation, referred to as “fuel,” feeds wildfires. In addition to Kelowna’s proximity to forests and grasslands, the city’s summer weather is hot and dry. These extended periods of drought, usually experienced every summer, create the environment in which wildfires occur.

Why are Wildfire’s Necessary for Forests

In many forest ecologies, wildfires are a crucial ecological event essential to the lifecycle of forested areas. Wildfires play a number of crucial roles in preserving the wellbeing and operation of these ecosystems. Wildfires remove dead vegetation and overgrown underbrush and manage disease and pest outbreaks. They aid in the renewal and rejuvenation of forests, which allows for new growth to occur.

Fires return organic debris and nutrients held in plants to the soil. Because it refills the soil with key nutrients that enable plant growth, this nutrient cycling is essential for the wellbeing of forest ecosystems.

With dead vegetation and overgrown underbrush removed, wildfires lessen competition for resources like sunshine, water, and nutrients among the remaining trees and result in stronger, healthier forest stands. However, wildfires become a problem when they pose a threat to or pose dangerous risks to human communities.

New trees and shrubs regrow in a former wildfire burn location near Kelowna

Improving Wildfire Resilience on Your Property

Manage your property by first identifying ignition zones. Ignition zones are specific areas around a property that are evaluated for their vulnerability to ignition during a wildfire. Managing ignition zones is a critical aspect of wildfire resilience, as it involves implementing measures to reduce the risk of a wildfire starting on or spreading to your property. Ignition zones are categorised into three zones, each with its own set of recommendations for mitigation:

Zone 1: Immediate Zone 0-1.5 Metres

  • This is the area closest to your home, typically within 0 to 1.5 metres from structures.
  • The focus in this zone is to create a “defensible space” that is highly resistant to ignition.
  • Completely remove dead vegetation, brush, trees, leaves, and any other potential fuels for wildfire.
  • Use non-combustible materials for landscaping and building features.
  • Ensure proper spacing between trees and shrubs to prevent fire from spreading from vegetation to structures.
  • Remove coniferous trees in this zone.

Zone 2: Intermediate Zone 1.5–10 Metres

  • This area extends from 1.5 to 10 metres out from structures.
  • Reduce the density of vegetation, trees, and brush to slow the spread of fire.
  • Create spacing between trees and shrubs to reduce the risk of crown fires.
  • Maintain trees and shrubs through pruning and thinning.
  • Consider using fire-resistant plants in your landscaping.
  • Remove coniferous trees, and instead plant deciduous (leafy) trees, which are more resistant to wildfires.

Zone 3: Extended Zone 10–30 Metres

  • This is the area from 10 to 30 metres from structures.
  • Focus on creating a well-maintained landscape that reduces the overall fuel load.
  • Thin and space trees to prevent the spread of fire and promote healthier forest stands.
  • Remove all dead and diseased trees.
  • Maintain a fire-resistant perimeter by mowing grass and clearing brush, reducing dense underbrush.
Mobile brush chipper used to clean up hazardous species of trees

Improve Fire Resilience with Action Tree

Action Tree Service consists of a highly trained team of certified arborists that has the largest and best equipped fleet of tree and brush removal equipment in the Kelowna region. Action Tree offers many services that can help maintain and manage the vegetation in the ignition zones on your property. Action Tree specialises in dangerous tree removals, using cranes in accordance with particular work procedures that Worksafe BC has developed and approved. All this means is that clearing trees and other vegetation in close proximity to buildings on your property can be completed in a safe, controlled, and precise manner. Contact Action Tree Service today to learn more about how we can all work together to prevent the spread of wildfires.