FireSmart is coming up with a new way to inspire residents to make their properties safer.

A photo contest, which opened Thursday, asks homeowners to submit a photo of themselves completed a FireSmart task.

Activities include mowing the lawn, removing debris from gutters, and moving woodpiles away from the house.

“Over the last few years, we’ve treated more than 400 hectares of municipal forest with FireSmart prescriptions to help reduce our wildfire risk. That’s equivalent to the size of about 500 baseball fields,” said Jody Butz, Regional Fire Chief.

“But being FireSmart as a community is more than just treating our forests. It’s about working collectively to reduce risk where it exists, including residential property. I think the community has been very receptive to this over the years, and this photo contest is a great way for residents to show us how they are continuing to take FireSmart action at home.”

Four chainsaws, two for the rural areas and two for the urban service area, will be given away on September 4th as prizes.

The deadline to enter is August 31st and more information can be found on the RMWB’s website.