Firefighters on scene of a cedar hedge fire in Westsyde in 2022. (Image Credit: Kamloops Fire Rescue)

By Victor Kaisar

War On Cedars!

Launch of new fuel reduction rebate programs in Kamloops, TNRD imminent

Apr 21, 2025 | 12:21 PM

KAMLOOPS — The City of Kamloops is expected to soon announce the launch of a new rebate program to incentivize some fuel mitigation work this year.

Kamloops Fire Rescue (KFR) Life Safety Educator Capt. Jeff Pont says the rebate program will mean people are able to get up to 50 per cent of eligible costs covered to a maximum of $800, if they remove all cedars and junipers on their property within five metres of their home.

“Most of them were planted in the 1980s and people weren’t thinking about wildfire the same way we do now. Or just fire in general,” Pont said. “They just add a substantial fuel load to homes no matter where you live and this rebate will hope to get a lot of those removed.”

Details about the rebate program were first unveiled in February by the City’s FireSmart Liaison Kathleen Cahoon.

“Financial restrictions is one of the biggest barriers for people so offering something for them to be able to do it and have that incentive is going to be really beneficial,” Cahoon said at a Safety and Security Select Committee meeting.

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Speaking on CFJC Midday, Pont said the rebate program – which will be on a first-come, first-served basis – hasn’t launched yet, but its expected to in the near future. He said the City will communicate details about the program’s launch on its website and on social media.

“[When that happens,] you can apply for a FireSmart assessment which is the first step,” Pont said. “We’ll come out and tell you what needs to be done, and then you can go back to the website and click for the rebate, and then its all step by step from there.”

“For people that don’t have computers, you can just call me directly at Kamloops Fire Rescue and we’ll start the process for you.”

Pont said unlike previous wood chipping programs or FireSmart initiatives run by KFR that focused on neighbourhoods that were at higher risk of wildfires, this particular rebate program will be open to residents in all neighbourhoods of the City.

“Over the years we’ve had people from places like Brock, the North Shore and Westsyde reach out for some of these incentives that we’ve offered that don’t really include them,” Pont said. “Because those plants between homes – doesn’t matter where in the city you are – if one house is on fire that is really big fuel between homes.”

“We fight between 10 and 15 fires a year that involve cedars directly without wildfires, so the idea is to offer this incentive to everyone in the city that may have those flammable plants within five metres of their home.”

The City’s rebate program will have an estimated annual budget of $80,000 a year for the next four years, for a total of $320,000, with money coming from the Climate Action Fund Reserve. At a maximum rebate of $800 per applicant, its expected to benefit at least 100 homeowners.

“We’ve essentially placed a bounty on cedars at $150 for the first one and $100 for every cedar after that up to $800,” Pont told CFJC. “If you pay somebody else to do the work, it’ll be 50 per cent of the invoice value up up to $800.”

TNRD FireSmart rebate program to launch this spring

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District (TNRD) will also be launching a FireSmart rebate program on May 1.

“Property owners in electoral areas will be eligible for up to 50 per cent to a maximum of $500 if they do mitigation work on their property, identified by our Fire Smart Coordinators, TNRD CAO Scott Hildebrand said at the April 17 board meeting.

Hildebrand said the TNRD has $100,000 available in the budget for this rebate program, meaning as many as 200 properties could benefit. Just like the regional district’s overall FireSmart program, this rebate will be funded by a provincial grant.

“We’ll certainly be working with the communities and makings sure that people are going to get this rebate if they intend to help us and help themselves clean up their properties and make them fire safe,” Hildebrand said.

Like the City of Kamloops, a FireSmart assessment is required to begin the process for the rebate in the TNRD.

For more on FireSmart from the City of Kamloops, go here. For more on FireSmart from the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, go here.

Editors note: A previous version of this story said the City was set to launch a FireSmart rebate program instead of a program that exclusively targets cedars and junipers. The story has been edited to reflect that.