Canada Launches Nationwide Prescribed Burn Training Program

A new nationwide initiative, the Canadian Prescribed Fire Training Program, aims to enhance wildfire management through improved training in controlled burns. Launched in collaboration between UBC-Okanagan and the Weston Family Foundation, which has contributed $8 million, this program seeks to address the current shortfall in prescribed burn practices across Canada.

Prescribed burns are recognized as effective tools for reducing wildfire risk, yet they remain infrequent. For example, only two controlled burns were conducted in Kelowna in 2025, with West Kelowna not having implemented any such burns to date. “For us here, we’ve never done one here in West Kelowna,” stated Jason Brolund, West Kelowna’s fire chief. He emphasized the complexities involved, stating, “It takes a lot of work to prepare in advance, and the people who are doing it need to be highly trained and highly skilled.”

Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais, an assistant professor at UBC-Okanagan’s Faculty of Science and a former wildland firefighter, is spearheading the initiative. He explained that the program aims to bridge a significant capacity gap in prescribed fire management. “Unlike suppression, where we’ll share resources across the country, in prescribed fire, we don’t have the framework for doing that right now,” Bourbonnais noted.

Enhancing Fire Management Through Training

The Canadian Prescribed Fire Training Program will develop national training standards and provide hands-on experience for participants. It will also support Indigenous-led fire stewardship and cultural burning practices. Bourbonnais pointed out that training has been limited due to varying practices across provinces and territories, restricting opportunities for wildfire agency personnel and broader community members to learn about prescribed burns.

Effective training is essential for executing controlled burns, which require careful consideration of various factors, including fuel types, topography, and weather conditions. “We’ll assess the fuels, the topography, what we’re going to see for weather, the type of fire behaviour that we want to kind of put on the ground,” Bourbonnais explained. He also stressed the importance of public communication regarding upcoming burns.

Brolund highlighted the advantages of prescribed burns, noting their cost-effectiveness and significant impact on managing wildfire risks. “It’s something that had been practiced for thousands of years, but we lost it,” he said. “If we’re going to make a dent on a scale that is really measurable, we need to re-learn those skills and be able to apply fire to the ground over a large area to really have an impact on these fires that we face.”

Regional Hubs to Tailor Training

The program will establish five regional hubs across Canada—Western, Northern, Central, Eastern, and Atlantic—to ensure that training is tailored to local ecosystems and governance realities. This localized approach aims to create a more resilient infrastructure for managing wildfires through prescribed burns.

As wildfire seasons become increasingly severe, the implementation of such a training program may prove vital. By equipping individuals with the necessary skills and knowledge, Canada hopes to enhance its overall fire management strategies and reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfires in the future.