With wildfire season approaching, the Kelowna Fire Department is urging local residents to take preventative steps now to keep their homes safe.

Captain Jason Twamley, one of Kelowna’s fire mitigation specialists, said it used to be hard to get people to focus on protecting their homes from wildfires.

“It was really hard to get people's attention and get them on board with the program," said Twamley. “Then along comes a disaster close to home and it really opened people's eyes.”

Kelowna Fire Inspector Sylas Rossi stressed the importance of proactive measures.

“You can ... get someone to come out to your house and do an assessment to identify dangers [like] stacking wood under your deck, having gutters filled with needles, or cedar hedges," said Rossi.

Twamley emphasized that preventio

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