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Bridging Knowledge Systems: Indigenous Fire Stewardship Practices Within Western Fire Management

Lead image: We Are Fire project team. Image courtesy of B/W Photo Wildfires occur across the world every year. Whether caused by a lightning strike or human activity, fire is inevitable. While it can be destructive, it is also natural, historical, and essential for the health of many plants, wildlife, and ecosystems.  At first glance, […]

42% of wildfire evacuations occur in Indigenous communities, researcher

Indigenous people across Canada are routinely dealing with wildfires but jurisdictional issues and colonization contribute to create a different situation.

The Importance of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Restoring Indigenous Culture

September 30 marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, recognizing the tragic history of residential schools, including the missing children, the families left behind and the survivors. National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is now a statutory holiday in BC, allowing more British Columbians to get involved in advancing reconciliation by participating in local events, […]

Canada: generations old and new scramble to contain fires burning at record pace

Fighting fire with fire

How a B.C. Indigenous community is reintroducing traditional fire knowledge and practices to manage land vulnerable to wildfires

A Career on Fire

While fire is essential for the ecosystems found in British Columbia, uncontrolled wildfires can threaten lives, infrastructure, and resources. In a province that experiences an average of 1,352 wildfires per year, proper fire management techniques are crucial for preserving nature while protecting people and property.

OUR HOMETOWN: Matt Lees enjoys working and living in Williams Lake

At the suggestion of his best friend at the time, Matt Lees applied to work at the Cariboo Fire Centre when he was 18 and was hired on for the summer as a firefighter.

The History of Indigenous Unit Crews in BC

In the late 1980s, the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) and Indigenous communities were both facing challenges, which they were able to turn into a joint opportunity.

Firefighting Backwards Through Prescribed Fire and Cultural Burning

Indigenous partnerships are the foundation of prescribed fire and cultural burning in British Columbia. Working together through knowledge sharing, training, and boots on the ground is crucial to ensuring the continued health and resilience of the province’s ecosystems, and mitigating the impacts of wildfire on our forests and communities. The importance of everyone doing their […]

Shifting to a Proactive Model of Wildfire Management

Following the devastating 2021 fire season, the Province announced that Budget 2022 would more than double the funding available to protect British Columbians from wildfires by increasing funding for several wildfire prevention programs and initiatives , including increasing prevention and mitigation activities like cultural burning and prescribed fire.