This article Reprinted from Western Roofing magazine, January/February 2007, Volume 30, number 1

Shakin’ Up Whistler

Wood Shakes & Shingles Maintain Acceptance in Whistler with Class A System Fire Protection

by Randy Engh, manager, B.C. Shake and Shingle Association

If there’s any place in the world that’s changing, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada, sets the example. Ever increasing building activity with new condominiums, shopping areas, and breathtaking ski lodges being built in the narrow valley and surrounding hillsides present many unique challenges. Add to that the planning and logistics for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games and you have a very busy municipal government.

Real cedar shakes and shingles have been Whistler’s roofing product of choice since its inception nearly 40 years ago. Being a locally produced roofing product, it was naturally chosen for its durability and beauty, the perfect compliment to log chalets and ski lodges in the alpine ski region. Recent testing comparing real cedar with alternatives confirms that cedar shakes and shingles are unmatched for insulation and wind resistance values, and as well have the highest resistance to freeze-thaw effects.

Over the years the construction of homes and lodges in the Whistler Village and surrounding forested areas has become cause for concern for the Fire Rescue Service as homes built right under trees, and new construction practices that remove as few trees as possible at the building site increase fire risk potential dramatically. Debris that accumulates on roofs that are not maintained also adds to the fire risk, especially during the last three years of unseasonable drought conditions that have dried the forest and roofs.

Whistler Fire Chief Bruce Hall planned to take action after the Kelowna and Barrier B.C. wildfires of 2003. Hall decided that the B.C. Forest Service’s Fire Smart Manual, a publication designed to provide homeowners protective measures against fire, would be a good start. Although a wildfire such as Kelowna where the forest fire entered the community was a possibility, Hall’s first concern was for the possibility of a “wildland/urban interface” fire, where a fire started in a home in the community would spread through the surrounding trees and homes. One of Hall’s initial recommendations was that cedar shakes and shingles be banned from the Whistler area, with the opinion that the fire treatment chemical used was not environmentally safe.

Word got back to the cedar shake industry faster than a wildfire, and after a series of phone calls, Randy Engh, manager of the B.C. Shake and Shingle Industry, which represents independent as well as Cedar Bureau mills in B.C., was challenged to respond to the potential ban in Whistler.

The first call was to Chief Hall, to confirm his intentions, and then to provide details about the fire retardant chemical’s safety. Watkins Sawmills and S and W Forest Products are the Canadian producers of Fire Smart Roofing, which has been successfully fire treating shakes for over 20 years. The internationally approved fire treatment process includes pre treatment kiln drying, high-pressure retort impregnation of chemical, and secondary kiln drying, for Class C, Class B, and Class A system. They confirm that the fertilizer-based chemical is indeed environmentally safe, and has even been used for open range fire testing in California. The Fire Treatment Material Safety Data Sheet indicates a Hazard Rating Scale of zero, confirming their environmental safety.

Engh, Darrell Trask, and Kris Watkins of Watkins Sawmills then presented a burn demonstration at the Fire Chief’s Association of B.C. Annual Conference in Penticton, British Columbia, last year, and showed the effectiveness of fire treated shakes against a wind driven flaming block of wood placed directly on the fire treated shake roof panel. Needless to say, there were many surprised and amazed fire chiefs to see that the shakes charred but did not ignite, even until the flaming cinder block finally burned itself out after over 20 minutes.

Chief Hall then presented the recommendation to Whistler Municipality to require Class A system roofing. Engh and Hall met with the Whistler chapter of the Canadian Homebuilders to provide the details about fire treated shakes and shingles, and answered their questions and concerns regarding handling safety and effectiveness. The bylaw then easily passed as a fire bylaw fire protective measure in the Municipality of Whistler. Cedar shakes and shingles account for over half of the roofing in Whistler, and the new bylaw will provide for the continued beauty, insulation, and performance that only real cedar provides, while adding the fire protection available with the Class A system.

Engh and Hall both agree that correct information and public education is crucial for the protection of “wildland/urban interface” fire risk areas. Fire treated shakes and shingles are safe, effective, and proven, and are recommended for fire risk areas. The Fire Smart manual may be located on the internet at www.partnersinprotection.ab.ca/downloads/index.shtml. Proper care and maintenance of existing roofs, including cleaning details, can also be found in the B.C. Shake and Shingle Association’s Care and Maintenance CD, available through your local shake and shingle distributor. •••