Wildfire management in Canada: Review, challenges and opportunities

Wildfire management agencies in Canada are at a tipping point. Presuppression and suppression costs are increasing but program budgets are not. Climate change impacts and increasing interface values-at-risk are challenging suppression effectiveness and resulting in more wildfire disasters. We conduc...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Progress in disaster science 2020-01, Vol.5, p.100045, Article 100045
Main Authors: Tymstra, Cordy, Stocks, Brian J., Cai, Xinli, Flannigan, Mike D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Disasters
Emergency management
Preparedness
Presuppression
Suppression
Wildfire management
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Summary:Wildfire management agencies in Canada are at a tipping point. Presuppression and suppression costs are increasing but program budgets are not. Climate change impacts and increasing interface values-at-risk are challenging suppression effectiveness and resulting in more wildfire disasters. We conducted semi-structured interviews with these agencies to understand the strategies, policies, and preparedness procedures they currently use to manage wildfires. We summarize the results of this national agency assessment, and based on what we heard and our review of agency internal documents, discuss agency challenges and opportunities to be better prepared for a future with more wildfire. A double wildfire paradox exists requiring communities and critical values in wildfire-dependent ecosystems to be FireSmart, and wildfire management agencies to allow more wildfire on the landscape by implementing a risk-based appropriate response approach. We conclude with a proposed future path for wildfire management in Canada. To co-exist with wildfire, agencies in Canada must also strengthen and adjust their wildfire management capacity and capability. This necessitates stronger horizontal collaboration, enhanced resource sharing, investments to develop innovative decision support tools, and an increased focus on prevention and mitigation.
ISSN:2590-0617
2590-0617
DOI:10.1016/j.pdisas.2019.100045