From the ashes: Re-imagining fire safety and emergency management in indigenous communities

Report of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs

This report contains the proceedings of the Standing Committee on Indigenous and Northern Affairs of the House of Commons of Canada's Parliament. It reports on the efforts of the Committee to study the response to and long-term impacts of wildfires in First Nation communities during the summer of 2017. The report provides 11 recommendations to improve the management of wildfires. 

This report is divided into three parts. The first provides greater context on emergency management in First Nation communities and the various roles and responsibilities. The second, on emergency management, discusses preparedness, response and recovery in First Nation communities. The third, on fire safety, addresses prevention, funding, fire protection standards and data collection. 

According to Public Safety Canada’s estimates, there are “around 200 Indigenous communities that are really exposed and have a high risk of wildfires. At the time of finalizing this report, the 2018 wildfire season had already begun and caused numerous evacuations. As of 23 May 2018, there had been 1,630 fires since the beginning of the year, 41 of which were still uncontrolled. First Nation communities continue to be affected by these emergency events and a number of the issues the Committee heard about during this study are still very much present on the ground, making this report more timely than ever.