Who IS FireSmart Canada? - Livable Cities Forum · Creates a Fire Adapted and FireSmart Canada! Thank You! Kelly Johnston, Executive Director Email: [email protected]

Who IS FireSmart Canada?

“A multi-disciplinary group working together in creating

fire adapted communities.”

• Increase inter-agency

cooperation

• Empower the public

• Increase community resilience to

wildfire

.

1. Vegetation Management

2. Development

3. Public Education

4. Legislation

5. Interagency Cooperation

6. Cross Training

7. Emergency Planning

Seven FireSmart Disciplines

A National Priority….

“Minimize the risk to the public safety and

property by developing and implementing a

Canadian FireSmart initiative with distinct

components addressing mitigation,

preparedness, response , and recovery”

FireSmart Major

Publications

Traditional Wildland-Urban

Interface Definition

Photo Credit: Alberta Agriculture and Forestry

95-98% successful in wildfire suppression-

OVERWHELMED!

Photo Credit: Alberta Agriculture and Forestry

WUI…a set of conditions

WUI Risk

INTENSITY

• Fuels (Wildland and Built)

• Topography

• Weather

LIKELIHOOD

• Ignition

• Weather

• Fire History

• Fire Suppression

CONSEQUENCE

First Oder

• Fire Behavior

• Fire Suppression

• First Order Fire Effects

• Infrastructure

• Structures

• Human Life

Second Order

• Economic

• Social

• Health

• Second Order Fire Effects

• Compounding Natural

Hazards

WUI HAZARD

WUI RISK

Who’s Responsible: Partners Across the Landscape

JURISDICTION/LOCATION

Province –Territory/ > Urban Fringe + Community/ > Private OwnershipLandscape > Municipality + Subdivisions > Home/Structure Ignition Zone

Home Owners

Business

LEV

EL O

F R

ESP

ON

SIB

ILIT

Y

Low

>>>

Hig

h

First Nations

Regional/Landscape

Scale Plans

Community Scale

Plans

FireSmart

Community Plans/

Home Hazard

Assessments

GENERIC FIRESMART RESPONSBILITIES,

BY JURISDICTION, WITHIN CANADA

Remote

Crown/Public

Lands

Private

Ownership

Gov’t. of Canada - PSC / AANDC

How Do Structures Ignite?

Direct convective or radiant heat

Ignition from ember (fire brand) transport

Structure to structure

Radiant Heat/ Convective Heat

Burning fuels (wildland or

built) within 10 m (radiant

heat)

Crown fire within 30 m

(convection)

Defensible Space? It takes 5 sec to

produce second degree burns under

same conditions it takes 27 mins to

ignite a wood wall (16 Kw/m2)

Radiant Heat Vs Embers

A Typical Neighbourhood

Communities, Groups & Neighbourhood Engagement

2016

Neighbourhoods

Local Governments Community Groups

HomePartners Program: Parcel Level Assessments

WUI Land Use Planning &

Legislation

• National Building Code of Canada

• Provincial Building Codes

• Official Community Plans

• Community Wildfire Protection Plans

• Subdivision Design Standards or By-Laws

• Other plans and regulations

FireSmart = Options

• Increases community resilience to wildfire:

reducing risk and losses

• Increases ability of to sustainably manage forest

ecosystems

• Increases ability of agencies to successfully

manage wildland fire.

Creates a Fire Adapted and FireSmart Canada!

Thank You!

Kelly Johnston, Executive Director

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (780) 435-7338

firesmartcanada.ca