British Columbia to Expand the Use of Wildfire Predictive Technology

On Monday, the British Columbia provincial government announced that the BC Wildfire Service is expanding the use of wildfire predictive technologies to better protect people and communities from wildfires.

In advance of the 2024 wildfire season, BC is introducing technology that can produce real-time wildfire behavior predictions and incorporate information directly from the field. This is aligned with feedback from the Premier’s Expert Task Force on Emergencies and follows last year’s successful trial of the software.

The news release explained that while wildfire predictive technology does not replace the experience and skills of qualified BC Wildfire Service staff, it provides wildfire decision-makers with more intelligence and more time to plan their operations. With this expanded level of intelligence, the organization can even more proactively respond to wildfires, giving people more time to act during an emergency.

The wildfire predictive technology will first be introduced in the Coastal and Kamloops Fire Centers, where it has already been trialed to ensure compatibility with forest and fuel conditions. Following continued trials, refinements, and staff training, BC’s remaining four regional fire centers will phase in the new technology throughout 2024.

In remarks accompanying the announcement, BC Minster of Forests Bruce Ralston said:

“As the impacts of climate change evolve, so too must our ability to manage the threat of wildfires in our communities. During a wildfire, every second counts as wildfire professionals deploy aircraft and firefighters to tackle blazes. By adding more technology to the BC Wildfire Service’s tool kit, our talented firefighters will be able to make critical decisions faster when it matters most.”