On June 2, 1983 Air Canada Flight 797 travelling from Dallas/Fort Worth to Montreal developed an in-flight fire behind the lavatory that forced the aircraft to divert to Cincinnati for an emergency landing. Twenty-three passengers died in the incident, which became a watershed for changes in global aviation regulations.
The Canadian Wildland Fire Information System is predicting hot, dry weather across a large swath of Western Canada for the summer of 2018.
Tom Cartwright of Port Colborne, Ontario has been named Ontario Fire Chief of the Year. Since a tragic multiple death fire in 2016 Chief Colborne has been an advocate for the need for fire departments to take a more proactive approach to fire safety and prevention.
The results of an independent review of British Columbia’s response to 2017’s wildfires and floods have been published. The report, entitled “Addressing the New Normal: 21st Century Disaster Management in B.C.” highlights the gap between spending on response versus mitigating the potential impact of disasters.
Cities are struggling to establish safety standards for lithium-ion batteries even as their uses continue to expand. City planners are concerned about power storage units in basements and on rooftops.
The former fire chief of Renfrew, Ontario has vowed to fight what he considers to be an illegal termination of his employment. Guy Longtin was terminated when his position was included in a mandatory retirement policy for firefighters.
From May 14 to 16, 2011 a huge wildfire pushed by 100 km per hour winds burned through the town of Slave Lake, Alberta forcing the complete evacuation of the town and surrounding area and causing roughly $750 million in insurable damage.
On August 12, 2017 the heat from four wildfires in British Columbia triggered monstrous thunderstorms comparable to a volcanic eruption.