Though winter is coming, fire crews are on the lookout for zombie fires that can spring back to life

Dec 11, 2023

While the official end of the wildfire season in Alberta has been announced, Firefighters remain vigilant, monitoring for underground fires that could potentially reignite come spring.

Beneath the surface, fire may still smoulder in organic material known as peat, which has become increasingly susceptible to combustion due to prolonged drought conditions.

The reduction in temperatures does not guarantee the complete extinguishment of peat fires, emphasizing the ongoing need for caution and monitoring.

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Moncton researchers developing artificial intelligence to fight wildfires

Dec 11, 2023

In New Brunswick, a group of researchers is pioneering an innovative strategy to address the escalating wildfire risk in Canada: instructing artificial intelligence to identify them more swiftly.

Engineers at the Université de Moncton are refining an algorithm designed to work in conjunction with satellite and drone imagery, surpassing human accuracy in detecting wildfires. The technology not only identifies fires but also forecasts their potential spread, assisting firefighters in strategically deploying resources.

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Alberta wildfire season ’10 times more severe’ than recent averages, province says

Dec 11, 2023

The official conclusion of Alberta’s 2023 wildfire season on October 31 was marked by a staggering record: 1,092 wildfires consumed an unprecedented 2.2 million hectares, as reported by the Alberta government.

While the total number of fires aligned with the five-year average of 1,100 for the 2018-2022 period, the extensive area burned witnessed a tenfold surge compared to the 190,000-hectare average during the same timeframe. The province characterized this season as “10 times more severe,”.

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Rebuilding process in the Shuswap following wildfires expected to be lengthy

Dec 11, 2023

Following the destructive fire in the Shuswap community of British Columbia, residents affected by the disaster now face new hurdles as they begin the rebuilding phase.

In an effort to accelerate the reconstruction process, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District has removed a temporary moratorium on building permits in the south Adams Lake and Shuswap Lake areas to carry out geotechnical assessments.

These assessments have uncovered an elevated risk of unstable grounds in the North Shuswap and some of its adjacent areas.

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High school students learning to become firefighters

Dec 11, 2023

Every Friday, nearly a dozen students from Livingstone Range School Division are enrolled in firefighting training and gather at the Granum fire hall for three hours. During these sessions, they learn the ins and outs of the profession.

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Fire Chief “extremely pleased” by planned additional cancer coverage for firefighters

Dec 11, 2023

Firefighters in Swift Current’s Fire Department are now covered for six additional types of cancer. The announcement was made in the recent Throne Speech at the Saskatchewan Legislative Assembly. It revealed that The Workers’ Compensation (Extending Firefighter Coverage) Amendment Act would extend its protection to include half a dozen additional cancer types.

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As Alberta’s record fire season ends, planning begins for next year’s fight

Dec 11, 2023

The officially designated 2023 wildfire season in Alberta we concluded on Tuesday, marked by the scorching of a staggering 2,214,957 hectares of land. This amount surpassed the previous five-year average by more than tenfold, establishing a record as the most extensive wildfire destruction in recorded history.

Throughout the season, which witnessed a total of 1,094 fires, over 38,000 residents were evacuated due to the escalating threat posed by the wildfires.

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