FireWatch

FireWatch is a service that provides links to news stories from the fire community that have attracted our attention.

Too little being done to protect communities from wildfires

Yet another destructive wildfire raises questions about our failure to learn from Kelowna and Slave Lake - to take steps to guard against their fury. "This happened in Kelowna in 2003, why didn't we all learn from that?" Click here to read more.

Ten Ft. McMurray firefighters and what the fire took from them

Ten Ft. McMurray firefighters and what the fire took from them

At least 20 Fort McMurray firefighters - even as they helped save the homes of countless others from a wildfire that raged through their northern Alberta city - had their own hearts broken as their homes burned to the ground. The Toronto Star talked to ten of them....

Time to implement long-dormant plan for managing wildfires

Time to implement long-dormant plan for managing wildfires

In 2004, in Haines Junction, Yukon, the Canadian Council of Forest Ministers (CCFM) identified the need for a new, strategic approach to wildland fire management, based on a risk-management framework. In 2005, at the CCFM meeting in Saskatoon, the ministers signed the...

Visor lets firefighters see through the smoke

Visor lets firefighters see through the smoke

When you're fighting fires, you want as many weapons as possible at your disposal. Now, augmented reality glasses are helping firefighters navigate extreme working conditions. Click here to read more.

Homeowner watches Ft. McMurray home burn on security cam

Homeowner watches Ft. McMurray home burn on security cam

When thousands fled the flames in Fort McMurray and were wondering if they would ever see their homes again, James O'Reilly wasn't one of them. He knew for sure he had lost his home of almost 20 years after watching it burn to the ground on his iPhone. The original...

May in fire history – Hindenburg zeppelin fire

May in fire history – Hindenburg zeppelin fire

It was the largest airship ever built; over eight hundred feet long from its nose to its massive tail fins. It was the height of luxury travel. It was called the Hindenburg and in the space of 37 seconds it was destroyed in a fire that killed a third of its crew and...

Coroner issues 33 recommendations after inquest

Coroner issues 33 recommendations after inquest

Ontario's coroner called for stricter fire inspection rules and a system that would "red flag" any property that has a history of violating fire codes following the inquest into two deadly house fires. Click here to read more.

Pine beetle infestations reduce wildfire severity, study suggests

Pine beetle infestations reduce wildfire severity, study suggests

A study that examined more than 80 fires over the last 25 years in the Pacific Northwest region of the U.S. concluded that pine beetle and western spruce budworm infestations did not increase the severity of wildfires, but actually decreased the intensity. Click here...

Birdhouse alarm created to prevent wildfires

Birdhouse alarm created to prevent wildfires

While there are many ways to prevent forest fires, creators in Spain have a new tool - the Birdhouse alarm. The alarm uses a smoke detector, capable of identifying smoke within 20 metres. A geo-located message is then sent through a 3G connection to the local fire...

Seniors’ home to be stripped of certification over safety concerns

Seniors’ home to be stripped of certification over safety concerns

Dozens of seniors in Laval will be transferred to a new nursing home because the Quebec government and firefighting officials are worried for their safety. Manoir Chomedey will be stripped of its certification of compliance because the building's fire safety standards...

Mountaintop cameras could detect wildfires earlier

Mountaintop cameras could detect wildfires earlier

B.C.could better battle wildfires if it installed early detection cameras on top of its mountains like California has done, argues an American researcher. The AlertSoCal project is being piloted in Southern California, where 65 high-resolution cameras have been...

Fire in the sky illegal

Fire in the sky illegal

While those lights you see in the night sky might not be of the extraterrestrial variety, they could still pose a serious threat to those back on Earth. Sky lanterns, a cheap airborne candle that can float up to two kilometres in the sky, can be found at many dollar...

Ottawa, railway not taking safety seriously?

Ottawa, railway not taking safety seriously?

Transport Canada and an American firm operating the rail line that hugs the heavily populated coastline in Surrey and White Rock aren't taking public safety concerns seriously, a House of Commons committee has been told. The alarming message was delivered by Surrey...

Denver firefighter death prompts nationwide alert

Denver firefighter death prompts nationwide alert

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) has issued a nationwide alert to fire departments across the U.S. following last July's death of a Denver firefighter. The safety advisory concerns translucent corrugated roof panels, the same kind of...

St. Catharines care facility fined for obstructing fire inspectors

St. Catharines care facility fined for obstructing fire inspectors

The Ontario Court of Justice has handed down a $15,000 fine on a St. Catharines residential care facility for providing misleading information to fire officials. Officials say the operators of Queenchester Terrace provided false information to St. Catharines Fire...

Dramatic footage shows fire tornado in St. Albert

Dramatic footage shows fire tornado in St. Albert

A dramatic video shows the shocking size of a massive "fire tornado" in St. Albert, Alberta, last week that forced a firefighter to jump into a river to escape the flames. here to read more and see the video.

Fire exposes deplorable living conditions in rooming house

Fire exposes deplorable living conditions in rooming house

Some charitable organizations are sounding the alarm after a weekend fire exposed deplorable living conditions in a rooming house in Moncton. The groups say deteriorating buildings and a lack of power and water are becoming all too common for the less fortunate. Click...

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