Canadian Wildland Fire Information System Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts

Presentation Outline Forest fires in Canada Canadian Forest Service – Fire Management Systems The Canadian Wildland Fire Information System –What is the CWFIS –Data flow diagram –Benefits of the system Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts

Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts Forest Fires in Canada

Forest fires in Canada Average year in Canada: 9000 fires burn 2.5 million hectares burned $500 - $800 million spent on fighting fires Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts

Forest fires in Canada Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts 35% of fires are caused by lightning while 65% are caused by people. 87% of the area burned is from lightning-caused fires. Fire cause Area burned

Large fire occurrence in Canada Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts with most fire activity occurring in the boreal forest. There is large annual variation in the fire numbers and area burned

Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts Canadian Forest Service Fire Management Systems

Northern Forestry Centre To help understand and manage wildland fires in Canada, the Canadian Forest Service has been conducting fire research for over 80 years. The Northern Forestry Centre in Edmonton is the principal centre for fire research in Canada. Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts

CFS Mandate CFS’ mandate is to: Conduct research on the protection, management and use of Canada’s forests and forest products; Develop, recommend and implement national forest policies; Enhance market access for Canadian forest products around the world; Champion Canadian scientific and technological capabilities; Build consensus and promote cooperation among national and international governments and non-governmental organizations; Gather, compile, analyze, coordinate and disseminate information; and Encourage public cooperation in the protection and wise use of the forests. Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts

CFS Mandate Fire management systems group: Conduct research on the protection, management and use of Canada’s forests and forest products; Develop, recommend and implement national forest policies; Enhance market access for Canadian forest products around the world; Champion Canadian scientific and technological capabilities; Build consensus and promote cooperation among national and international governments and non-governmental organizations; Gather, compile, analyze, coordinate and disseminate information; and Encourage public cooperation in the protection and wise use of the forests. Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts

Fire Management Systems The Fire Management Systems group at the Northern Forestry Centre focuses on the development and application of current research into decision support systems. Our national monitoring system is the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System (CWFIS) Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts

Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts Canadian Wildland Fire Information System

What is the CWFIS? What is the CWFIS? A web-based fire information system that monitors forest fire conditions and fire occurrences across Canada. Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts

The CWFIS Displays daily maps and reports of forest fire conditions across Canada Aids public safety and awareness Contributes to the development of science and technology Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts

CWFIS – Fire danger monitoring Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts Weather observations are routed through the Anik satellite to a GIS, which produces the fire danger maps for Canada.

Fire Monitoring, Mapping, and Modeling System – FireM3 Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts Daily monitoring of hotspots and smoke from wildland fires using NOAA AVHRR and MODIS satellite imagery in near real time.

CWFIS map products CWFIS map products Fire weather Fire behaviour Hotspots Regional satellite images Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts

Fire Weather Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts Weather observations are interpolated and then used as inputs for the FWI system to produce fire danger maps.

Fire Behaviour Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts Using the FBP system, potential fire behaviour maps are produced based on fuels, topography and weather.

Hotspots Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts Large fires are detected and mapped using NOAA/AVHRR and MODIS satellite imagery in near real time.

Regional Images Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts Regional satellite images feature views of major wildfire and smoke events in Canada.

CWFIS – Fire danger monitoring Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts Over 800 weather stations relay observations to a collection centre in Downsview, Ontario where the data is transmitted via satellite A satellite receiver and software extract required bulletins from the data stream, and decoding programs interpret reports and store information in a database. Weather values are extracted from the database and combined with topographic and fuel data in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to provide daily Fire Weather Index (FWI) and Fire Behaviour Prediction (FBP) maps. The CWFIS provides national monitoring of fire potential and behaviour, using indices derived from observed or forecast weather, topographic, and vegetation (fuel) data. Map products displaying current fire danger are distributed on the CWFIS website

Additional CWFIS features 30 year climatology – historical normals Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts Large fire database Feature publications Background Information

Summary Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts The CWFIS is a fire information system with products made available through the Internet in near-real time. It provides a national perspective of the fire danger conditions in Canada. It benefits provincial and federal agencies as well as the general public.

Where do we go from here? Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts

Where do we go from here? Natural Resources Canada Canadian Forest Service Ressources naturelles Canada Service canadian des forêts Thank you!