Grant: CCI Applied Research and Development Grants

The threat of wildfires is growing across British Columbia, Canada, and the world. As climate change continues to bring hot, dry summers to the region, and unpredictable weather events become more common, the need to educate the public on wildfire safety and prevention continues to grow. The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) is tasked with managing wildfires through a combination of prevention, mitigation and suppression strategies, on both Crown and private lands outside of organized areas such as municipalities or regional districts. BCWS operates within all four pillars of emergency management: prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery. BCWS and FireSmart BC engaged with Camosun Innovates (CI), the applied research and development hub at Camosun College, to develop a prototype “ember cannon” ember distribution simulator. This simulator is currently being tested during the 2024 fire season, with positive results indicating that additional work can be accomplished to address the ongoing wildfire threat. To support the next phase of our work with BCWS, Camosun is requesting ARD funding to develop an automated simulator system with a protected and integrated onboard power supply that can be deployed to remote communities, allowing on-site and outdoor usage in areas without reliable access to power. The project will begin following the end of the 2024 fire season in September, at which time BCWS and CI will begin working with newly gathered testing data. It will run from October 2024 through March 2025. When completed, the simulator will increase general awareness and knowledge of the reality of embers igniting structures during wildfire events, as well as being able to show how and where embers build up differently on different types of structures. It will be applied to public awareness and education opportunities by BCWS, FireSmart BC, and any other interested municipalities and community groups, assisting owners and governmental agencies in identifying areas requiring mitigation and will provide BCWS with reliable insight into the spread of wildfire embers and their effects on urban and rural environments in the wildland-urban interface. These protections will provide both economic and health benefits to Canadians as climate change continues to increase the frequency and severity of wildfires, mitigating harm and protecting lives.