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Wildfire professionals from around the continent ascended on Fort Providence to learn how fire acts on the landscape. The team, lead by NWT, includes the local fire crews, researchers from Alberta, Saskatchewan, British Columbia and Quebec and fire professionals from as far as California, Idaho and France. The site 50 km north of Fort Providence has been a place of learning for 13 years. The knowledge gained by observing these fires will be shared with wildfire professionals all over the world.

“The burn trials teach us how FireSmart principles really work, we’ve come to understand how to better protect homes threatened by wildfire.” says Kris Johnson, Fire Science Manager with the Northwest Territories Forest

Management Division “I’ve seen first hand the difference FireSmart makes.  Doing a bit of maintenance around your yard can make a world of difference in a wildfire situation. It not only protects your home but also keeps our fire fighters safe.” Taking simple steps to move your firewood pile away from your home and keeping your yard free of debris can help to reduce the damage a wildfire can do to your home. 

 

Research in 2010 focused on testing vegetation management principles and different ways to suppress wildfires. Vegetation management principles such as thinning trees, pruning branches and mulching are put to the test by igniting fires and documenting their passage through the testing area. 

 

The 2010 fire trials were put to an abrupt end when the site received a down pouring of 48 mm of rain but researchers are already making plans for next year. “The burns couldn’t happen without the support and involvement of the community of Fort Providence.” Says Ray Ault of FPInnovations, he has been coming to Fort Providence for 13 years and each year he is welcome by the community and looks forward to coming back.

 

Figure 1 - French PhD student Maïa Séfraoui takes a break from fire research to grab a bite to eat.

 

Figure 2 - The 2010 Canadian Boreal Community FireSmart Project research team.

 

Figure 3 - Fire Behaviour Specialist Mike Williamson assists with the instrumentation of a plot prior to burning.

 

Figure 4 - University of Alberta’s Mark Ackerman coordinates the setup and instrumentation of a structure in a burn plot.