From Fires to Flows: Science for a Safer Future

Speakers:

• Sophie Wilkinson, School of Resource and Environmental Management, SFU Faculty of Environment
• Brendan Murphy, School of Environmental Science, SFU Faculty of Environment

Moderator: Sean Markey, Dean, SFU Faculty of Environment

Abstract

Wildfire is both a creative and destructive force of nature. In many ecosystems, it is a necessary, regenerative process, the effects of which maintain healthy forests, rejuvenate habitats and reduce future fire risk. However, over the last half century, wildfires across western North America have become larger, more frequent, and more severe. And as wildfire activity has increased, so has the number of people living in or at the interface of wildland areas. Consequently, our exposure to both direct and indirect wildfire risks is greater now than at any time in the past century. As our climate continues warming, there is no option for a future without fire, thus the challenge now is to better understand it and learn how to coexist with it.

Join SFU fire scientist Dr. Sophie Wilkinson and watershed scientist Dr. Brendan Murphy for an engaging discussion about wildfires and post-wildfire natural hazards in our changing world. Drs. Wilkinson and Murphy will first break down the science of wildfire behavior, how fires alter forests and soils and how these changes can lead to destructive natural hazards, such as debris flows, landslides and floods. Then, providing a glimpse inside their active research programs, they will share insights about the ecological and physical effects following recent wildfires in Canada, their efforts related to the prediction and mitigation of wildfires and post-wildfire impacts, and explore global trends in post-fire natural hazard activity. Finally, drawing on their collective expertise, they will lead off a discussion about how Canada might better position itself to effectively address and manage these wildfire risks for a safer future.