Slave Lake and area residents can now get free, confidential help making their homes safer from wildfires. The Lesser Slave Regional Fire Service (LSRFS) is offering FireSmart Home Assessments by appointment.
Trained professionals will walk through the property, looking at things like siding, decks, and nearby trees that could catch fire. After the visit, the homeowner gets a list of changes that can lower the risk, from clearing brush to upgrading vents. The results are kept private and are not sent to insurance companies.
The timing is important. As of June 30, the wildfire danger in the Slave Lake Forest Area is high in areas north of Slave Lake and lower in the south, according to Alberta Wildfire. Since January 1, 2026, crews have already responded to 48 wildfires that burned about 34 hectares. In late June, the danger jumped from low to very high in just one week.
Many locals still remember the 2011 wildfire that destroyed roughly 400 buildings and forced the evacuation of the whole town. Sara Coutts, who started as Regional FireSmart Coordinator on January 5, 2026, grew up in a firefighting family here. Her father was the fire chief during that disaster. “I grew up in a fire family,” Coutts said. She says the assessments are a way to help neighbours avoid a repeat of the past.
To book a free assessment, residents in the Town of Slave Lake or the M.D. of Lesser Slave River can email [email protected] or call 780-805-6563.
