In February 2014, the Wildfire Management Branch (WMB) of Alberta Environment and Sustainable Resource Development (ESRD) created a task force to develop a provincial strategy for using remote camera systems. This Remote Camera System Task Force (RCSTF)asked FPInnovations to survey the staff in each wildfire management district to gather and summarize information on what the districts are currently using and how they are using it. This project was completed under contract for the Government of Alberta. Please contact Roy Campbell for more detail.
The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Center (CIFFC), Aviation Working Group has asked FPInnovations to develop a way to measure the performance and cost-effectiveness of water-enhancing gels, and to compare that to water and other wildland firefighting chemicals (foams and retardants). This information is needed to help agencies understand the operational conditions where water-enhancing gels are best suited.
Lookout observers do not have a strong understanding of ground-level fire behaviour as it relates to the smoke they see from the lookout tower. Current training courses do not have any visual material to help new lookout observers understand how fuel type, distance, and weather can affect the appearance of smoke. An in-house training video and simulation exercises will provide new lookout observers with a broader understanding of wildfire smoke so they can find smokes sooner and can provide a better description of the potential fire behaviour.
FPInnovations Wildfire Operations researchers will cooperate with the Hinton Training Centre to develop a smoke and fire behavior training video for lookout observers.
One of the many benefits of forest fuel treatments is thought to include the increased effectiveness of airtanker drops. This project will measure the difference in canopy penetration between drops in standing timber and drops in stands with fuel treatments.
