CHASI is proud to maintain a longstanding partnership with the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council (NIFSC). The NIFSC supports Indigenous communities in the development of their internal capacity to enhance community safety and resiliency. As part of this partnership, CHASI is pleased to amplify their articles on our blog.
CHASI’s collaboration with the NIFSC, and many of their other research work, can be found on our NIFSC Publications page. For questions about the NIFSC and their work, please visit their contact page.
From Assessment to Action: Targeting Fire Risk in First Nations Communities
By Len Garis and Mandy Desautels
“The next phase of fire safety in First Nations communities must move from assessment to action. The data is here. The risk is clear. What comes next is up to us.”
A Crisis Rooted in Inequity
Canada’s First Nations communities experience fire-related injuries, fatalities, and property loss at rates vastly disproportionate to the rest of the country. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (2007) reported that First Nations per capita fire deaths are over 10 times higher than in non-Indigenous communities.
A recent report titled Moving from Risk Assessment to Risk Reduction, prepared by the Community Health and Social Innovation (CHASI) Hub for the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council (NIFSC) formally the Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada (AFAC), provides an urgent and evidence-based framework to address these disparities. Analyzing 624 First Nation, Indian Band, and Tribal Council areas using Statistics Canada data, the study identifies where fire-related risks are concentrated—and how fire services can respond strategically.
Identifying Risk Through Data
The report uses nine individual and household-level variables that have been empirically linked to increased fire risk:
- Children under 6
- Individuals aged 65 and over
- Households requiring major repairs
- Short-term occupancy (recent movers)
- High occupancy households (5+ people)
- Household crowding (more than one person per room)
- Rental housing
- Lone parent households
- Unemployed individuals
Using Z-score thresholds, communities were flagged as “high risk” when their values exceeded the 90th percentile for multiple variables. Twenty-one communities were found to have seven or more high-risk factors—a small percentage of the total but representing over 166,000 people or 25% of the population surveyed.
Hotspot Provinces: Where the Risk Is Highest
While fire risk touches every region, four provinces—Alberta, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Quebec—emerged as clear priorities:
- Alberta had six high-risk communities, including Treaty 7 Management Corporation, which exceeded thresholds for all nine variables.
- Manitoba identified five communities with seven or more risk factors, including Island Lake and Keewatin Tribal Councils.
- Saskatchewan flagged four communities, with one (PADC Management Company Ltd.) representing over 20,000 residents at risk.
- Quebec included three such communities, including Conseil Tribal Mamuitun.
These four provinces account for 89% of all high-risk communities identified in the report.
Bridging Risk and Response: The Role of CRR
The findings align strongly with the principles of Community Risk Reduction (CRR) and NFPA 1300, which stress the importance of data-driven, community-specific strategies. Geospatial mapping included in the report provides fire departments and leadership with tools to visually identify priority regions.
NIFSC encourages fire services to use this framework as a launchpad for engagement, ensuring programs are co-designed with local leadership and culturally relevant. While the analysis is descriptive due to the lack of incident-level data, it lays the foundation for meaningful collaboration and intervention.
The Missing Piece: Fire Incident Data
Despite its strengths, the report’s most glaring limitation is the absence of actual fire incident data. Without it, the connection between these risk factors and real-world fire outcomes cannot be directly measured.
This data gap is not due to oversight but systemic inequities. Most Indigenous communities are not included in national fire reporting systems. NIFSC has long advocated for the establishment of a comprehensive, Indigenous-led fire data strategy—a campaign this report strongly reinforces.
Practical Steps for Fire Services
Fire departments don’t need to wait for perfect data to take action. Here are five actionable recommendations drawn from the report:
- Engage proactively with communities flagged as high risk using the risk factor matrix as a conversation starter.
- Support fire incident data collection at the local level and advocate for national reforms.
- Collaborate with housing agencies to address structural hazards like major repairs, overcrowding, and lack of homeownership.
- Prioritize outreach to households with young children, lone parents, and the unemployed—groups at greater fire vulnerability.
- Track and evaluate program efforts, even without incident data, to inform adaptive CRR strategies.
Fire Safety as Reconciliation
It’s crucial to recognize that fire risk in Indigenous communities is not merely a function of building materials or alarm coverage. It is a symptom of systemic neglect—decades of underfunding, inadequate housing, and jurisdictional fragmentation.
Fire prevention must be part of reconciliation efforts. This means respecting Indigenous self-determination, listening to community voices, and investing in equitable services. Fire departments, often trusted local responders, are in a strong position to build relationships grounded in respect, service, and shared purpose.
Conclusion: Moving Forward with Purpose
The CHASI Hub’s Moving from Risk Assessment to Risk Reduction report is more than a study—it’s a roadmap. It offers fire services a clear framework to target limited resources where the need is greatest, even in the absence of perfect data.
But turning knowledge into action requires more than awareness. It calls for partnership, leadership, and commitment—qualities the fire service has in abundance.
The fire risk is real. The evidence is here. The opportunity to lead is now.
Authors
Len Garis is director of research for the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council, Ret. Fire Chief for the city of Surrey, B.C., associate scientist emeritus with the B.C. Injury Research and Prevention Unit. Contact him at lwgaris@outlook.com.
Mandy Desautels is Chief Administrative Officer at the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council, a project of the Aboriginal Firefighters Association of Canada. Prior to joining NIFSC, she worked for BC Emergency Health Services and prominent NGOs. Contact her at mandy.desautels@indigenousfiresafety.ca