Wildfires are changing and so must our response

Researchers say wildfires are evolving due to new fuels and the encroachment of urban areas on rural spaces necessitating new approaches to combatting wildfires Canada experiences an average of 8,000 wildfires each year.

The number and their severity fluctuates, but anecdotally wildfires seem to be on the rise and impacting more populated areas.

Attacking these wildfires on numerous fronts to safeguard communities against the mounting dangers of fire is the aim of the University of Waterloo’s Fire Research Lab (WFRL).

The lab’s co-leads Dr. Beth Weckman and Dr. Vinny Gupta examine some burnt materials inside the facility. WFRL is one of the most modern and unique in Canada dedicated to fire research and safety education.

“Our understanding of forest fuels and how they burn hasn’t been updated in decades,” says Weckman, a professor in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering. “We investigate fires from numerous fronts including how fires respond to the moisture content of invasive and non-invasive species. Climate change is not only influencing temperatures, but it also where we’re seeing different plant species.”