All Resources

Chisholm Fire Review Committee final report

Description

The Chisholm fire of May 23 – June 4, 2001 and the surrounding events prompted the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development to establish a committee to review the fire incident. The Chisholm... More ≫

Description

The Chisholm fire of May 23 – June 4, 2001 and the surrounding events prompted the Minister of Sustainable Resource Development to establish a committee to review the fire incident. The Chisholm Fire Review Committee carried out this review in the summer of 2001 through a public outreach process, a review of department policies and procedures and discussions with department staff. Generally, Alberta’s fire suppression activities conducted by Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (SRD) are very effective, however a small percentage of wildfires continue to escape initial suppression efforts to become large fires. This is of particular concern in wildland-urban areas, such as Chisholm. Broadly, the Committee concludes that it is necessary to address wildland-urban issues proactively in a cooperative and interdisciplinary manner. The Chisholm Fire Review Committee believes that such actions will increase human safety, decrease property losses and allow wildland fire suppression...

Tags

Final documentation report Chisholm fire (LWF-063)

Description

As the severity of the 2001 fire season developed in late May, Land and Forest Service escalated man-up and aircraft expenditures significantly above normal levels in expectation of increased fire... More ≫

Description

As the severity of the 2001 fire season developed in late May, Land and Forest Service escalated man-up and aircraft expenditures significantly above normal levels in expectation of increased fire load. Prior to fire activity in the Protection Zone of Alberta, municipalities in the agricultural areas were experiencing extreme fire behaviour and property losses. This is the context for Alberta’s latest record fire event – the Chisholm fire (LWF-063), which was man-caused, igniting on May 23, 2001. It is notable that the fire intensity for the Chisholm fire replaces the previous record calculation of the 1968 Vega fire, which ran parallel to the Chisholm fire. Both fires started the same day of the same month 33 years apart; both were driven by a low-level jet wind; and both fires ended their run just south of the Town of Slave Lake as a result of a major weather change.

Tags