Research

Fire management information systems are indispensable in reducing the more than $1 billion in annual losses in tourism, human habitat, timber and wildlife caused by forest fire.

Fire Management Information Systems

Over $550 million is spent annually on forest fire management in Canada. Considering that nationally, the area burned is about equal to the area harvested each year, effective fire management systems are essential for provincial and territorial fire agencies to protect lives and reduce the number of hectares burned. Timely and accurate forest fire danger information is needed to make sound fire and forest management decisions.

The Program

Based on more than sixty years of research, the Canadian Forest Service, in cooperation with fire management agencies, has developed the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System. The current system continues to evolve, through ongoing research and field testing.

The system uses weather, fuel and topographic data to rate the potential for forest fire ignition and to predict forest fire behaviour. It is being used across Canada to evaluate the susceptibility of forests to fire. The system is one of the few nationally implemented fire danger rating systems in the world and has been adopted in a number of areas outside Canada.

Fire management agencies integrate information from the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System in their strategic and tactical decision making process. The system is increasingly being used by forest companies, environmental scientists and researchers to evaluate the role and impact of fire on our forest ecosystems.

Using advanced information technology, the Canadian Forest Service also produces and disseminates national fire danger maps on a daily basis during the fire season. The maps are consulted by fire management agencies to determine their fire fighting resource needs and by the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre to facilitate interagency sharing of fire fighting resources. This fire information system has received international attention and has recently been adapted for use in Florida.

CFS S&T Network Partners:

• Canadian wildland fire management agencies
• Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre

For more information, please contact:

Mr. Dennis Dube
Network Manager

Canadian Forest Service
Northern Forestry Centre
5320 - 122 Street
Edmonton, Alberta
T6H 3S5

Telephone: (403) 435-7205
Fax: (403) 435-7359
email: dennis.dube@nrcan.gc.ca

or the CFS centre nearest you.

More information on Fire Management Systems