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Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative

by

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.

Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative

By Len Garis, Mandy Desautels

A New National Effort to Strengthen Wildfire Resilience in Indigenous Communities

Wildfires are becoming more frequent, more severe, and more unpredictable across Canada. For many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit communities—especially those located in the wildland–urban interface—the risks are growing faster than the resources available to manage them. These fires threaten homes, cultural sites, infrastructure, health, and the land itself.

To meet this challenge, Natural Resources Canada has launched the Wildfire Resilient Futures Initiative – Build and Mobilize Foundational Wildland Fire Knowledge Program, a national effort designed to deepen understanding of wildfire risk and support communities in developing stronger, culturally grounded wildfire resilience.

The National Indigenous Fire Safety Council (NIFSC) is leading a major multi‑year project under this program to work directly with Indigenous communities across the country. The goal is simple but transformative: build wildfire resilience by combining Indigenous knowledge, lived experience, and scientific data into practical, community‑driven tools and strategies.

Why This Program Matters

Indigenous communities have long stewarded the land through cultural burning, traditional knowledge, and community‑based practices. Yet many existing wildfire risk tools and programs do not reflect Indigenous realities, governance structures, or cultural priorities.

This program fills that gap by:

  • Supporting community‑specific wildfire risk assessments
  • Integrating Indigenous knowledge and cultural practices with scientific research
  • Identifying local vulnerabilities, strengths, and priorities
  • Developing practical preparedness, mitigation, and protection strategies
  • Creating education and awareness materials designed with communities, not for them

The result will be a national foundation of Indigenous‑informed wildfire knowledge—built from the ground up, community by community.

What the NIFSC Project Will Do

Over four years, the NIFSC will collaborate with Indigenous communities across Canada to gather information, listen to local experiences, and co‑develop wildfire safety approaches that reflect each community’s unique context.

Key activities include:

  1. Community Engagement & Knowledge Gathering

NIFSC Research Advisors will visit communities to learn about:

    • Local wildfire history
    • Cultural and traditional fire practices
    • Community layout, infrastructure, and vulnerabilities
    • Emergency response capacity
    • Land use, access routes, and environmental conditions

This information will be combined with wildfire data, research, and national guidelines to build a complete picture of wildfire risk.

  1. Developing an Indigenous‑Inspired WUI Risk Assessment Framework

The project will merge Indigenous knowledge with scientific analysis to create a flexible, community‑driven framework that helps communities:

    • Identify wildfire hazards
    • Understand vulnerabilities
    • Set risk thresholds
    • Prioritize mitigation actions
    • Strengthen preparedness and response
  1. Creating Community‑Ready Education & Awareness Tools

The NIFSC will translate research findings into:

    • Visual storytelling materials
    • Community wildfire safety guides
    • Preparedness and mitigation checklists
    • Awareness campaigns
    • Training and workshop content

All materials will be culturally grounded, accessible, and designed to support community‑wide engagement—from leadership to households.

How Communities Benefit

Participating communities will gain:

  • A clearer understanding of their wildfire risks
  • Tools to support decision‑making by Chiefs, Councils, and emergency teams
  • Community‑specific mitigation and preparedness strategies
  • Increased capacity to protect homes, infrastructure, and cultural assets
  • Access to NIFSC wildfire safety resources and training
  • A stronger voice in shaping national wildfire resilience approaches

This work will also help reduce long‑term wildfire impacts, support safer evacuations, and strengthen community resilience for future generations.

Call to Action: NIFSC Is Inviting Communities to Participate

The NIFSC is now reaching out to Indigenous communities across Canada who are interested in:

  • Hosting site visits
  • Sharing knowledge and experiences
  • Participating in wildfire risk assessments
  • Helping shape the national Indigenous wildfire resilience framework

Communities of all sizes—remote, rural, northern, and urban—are welcome to express interest.

This is an opportunity to ensure your community’s voice, knowledge, and priorities directly shape the future of wildfire safety in Indigenous territories.

How to Get Involved

Communities can contact the NIFSC to express interest in participating or to request more information about site visits and engagement opportunities.

Email: info@indigenousfiresafety.ca
Website: www.indigenousfiresafety.ca

The NIFSC team will follow up to discuss next steps, timelines, and how the project can best support your community.

Authors

Len Garis is director of research for the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council, Ret. Fire Chief for the city of Surrey, B.C., Research Associate – University of the Fraser Valley 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. Prior to joining NIFSC, she worked for BC Emergency Health Services and prominent NGOs. Contact her at mandy.desautels@indigenousfiresafety.ca.