A tinderbox summer? Wildfire, heat and drought 2026 – SFU experts available

With a greatly reduced snow pack, early campfire bans, and long-standing temperature records already shattered in 19 communities, people across British Columbia are gearing up for a hot, dry summer.

Experts from Simon Fraser University are available to comment on wildfires, poor air quality, and heat domes, as well as water quality, restrictions and drought conditions. 

Available SFU Experts

Wildfires and air pollution

YOLANDA CLATWORTHY, director, mitigating wildfire, Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue  
yolanda_clatworthy@sfu.ca 
Expertise: Led creation of a free media toolkit for covering wildfire and works to address the root causes of catastrophic wildfire. Her expertise explores how wildfire intersects with and impacts health, climate, Indigenous Rights, culture, rural economies, livelihoods, watersheds, forests, energy systems, tourism, and emotional well-being. Can also speak to the ways wildfire amplifies pre-existing inequities and disproportionate impacts on rural and Indigenous communities, as well as the importance of prevention, getting ahead of wildfire, and building all-of-society approaches.

SOPHIE WILKINSON, assistant professor, Resource and Environmental Management, founder of the Fire and Ecosystems Research Group
sophie_wilkinson@sfu.ca 
Expertise: Wildfire behaviour and the conditions that fuel them. Studies patterns of wildfire severity with a focus on high fuel-load boreal and coastal forests. Works with the Canadian Forestry Service and land and resource managers on how to manage wildfire risk and is developing a new way to measure fuel moisture for Canada’s national forest fire danger rating system.

BRENDAN MURPHY, assistant professor, School of Environmental Science
brendan_murphy@sfu.ca 
Expertise: Leads the Burned Watersheds Assessment, Research & Education (BWARE) Initiative, and studies what happens to landscapes after wildfires. The BWARE Initiative aims to help people better understand and manage the risks that can follow fires, including flooding, debris flows, and landslides. It’s also home to the Post-Wildfire Natural Hazards Dashboard, an interactive, publicly accessible global database of hazards attributed to wildfire.  

JAMES WHITEHEAD, projects manager, mitigating wildfire, Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue 
james_whitehead@sfu.ca 
Expertise: Former wildland firefighter in B.C., co-created a free media toolkit for covering wildfire. Can speak to how we address the risk of wildfire in B.C., evacuation reluctance, the impact of wildfire on rural communities, engaging rural residents, and the need for wildfire mitigation instead of just suppression.

STEPHANIE CLELAND, assistant professor, health sciences, Legacy for Airway Health Chair in Promotion of Lung Health 
stephanie_cleland@sfu.ca   
Expertise: Investigates how wildfire smoke and extreme heat negatively impact human health. Research is currently focused on long-term exposure to wildfire smoke and chronic lung and neurologic disease, early life wildfire smoke exposure and childhood respiratory health, and co-exposure to wildfire smoke and extreme heat. Can also speak to health effects related to extreme heat and heat waves.

ANNE-MARIE NICOL, associate professor of professional practice, health sciences  
anicol@sfu.ca  
Expertise: Heat and wildfire smoke exposure. Leads the SFU BREATHE Project, which offers free resources on how to build your own DIY air cleaner to reduce health impacts of wildfire smoke exposure; currently helping municipalities across B.C. host their own BREATHE workshops. 

Heat waves

ANDRÉANNE DOYON, associate professor, School of Resource and Environmental Management
andreanne_doyon@sfu.ca 
Expertise: Studies how cities and regions can adapt and transform to respond to environmental and social challenges, including urban planning for extreme heat. Can also speak to drought and wildfires in planning and city concepts.

Drought

ZAFAR ADEEL, director, professor of practice, School of Sustainable Energy Engineering, executive director, Pacific Water Research Centre  
zadeel@sfu.ca 
Expertise: Studies drought, water security, climate change adaptation, safe drinking water, and integrated water resources management. The Pacific Water Research Centre is currently in the middle two-year study assessing municipal water loss using advanced AI and leak detection technologies.