Wildfires surge and smoke spreads — SFU experts available

Dry lightning and high winds are fueling a surge of new wildfires across British Columbia this week while hundreds more burn in Ontario and Quebec, triggering widespread air-quality warnings on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border. Simon Fraser University experts are available to comment on what’s driving this escalation, and what it means for communities, ecosystems and public health.

Available SFU Experts

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.

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.  

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. 

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.

CATHERINE SLAVIK, assistant professor, health sciences, Legacy for Airway Health Chair in Health Communications
catherine_slavik@sfu.ca 
Expertise: Researches how social and environmental risk factors shape health and how health risks such as wildfire smoke can be communicated to support informed decision-making and behaviour change.