Our Work

The Partnership has generated a number of collaborative multi-media research products intended for the First Nations audience, fire management professionals, researchers, and the general public.

If you have questions about our research, please contact us!

University of Alberta graduate student researcher Kyla Mottershead was awarded a SSHRC Storytellers "Honourable Mention" in 2015 for this 3-minute video which outlines the research of the First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership.

Book

FIRST NATIONS WILDFIRE EVACUATIONS

A Guide for Communities and External Agencies

The FNWEP has published a book in 2021! Our guide is based on interviews with 200+ wildfire evacuees from seven First Nations. Learn from their experiences, good and bad, and discover invaluable insights on evacuation preparedness. Authored by Dr. Tara McGee & Dr. Amy Christianson, this book is packed with real-life stories, checklists, and guiding questions. With climate change raising the danger of wildfires around the world, the experiences of the communities featured in this book will serve as an indispensable resource for any community or town at risk from fire. Proceeds support Indigenous students at the University of Alberta.

Order here

Are you an Emergency Manager?

Download our poster Advice for Emergency Managers from the First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership. Click on the image to download the file as a PDF. This file can be printed in colour as large as 11x17 (tabloid) size.

Current Research Project

First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Host Communities

Research to date has examined First Nations wildfire evacuation experiences from the perspective of First Nations and evacuees, shedding light on how evacuees’ experiences in host communities can positively and negatively impact the experiences of evacuees and the impacts of the wildfire evacuation. This project examines host communities’ experiences, preparedness, and impacts of the recent hosting of First Nations and other Indigenous communities, focusing on the experiences of public officials and other service providers involved in hosting Indigenous evacuees and learning how hosts provide essential services such as food, shelter, and transportation, as well as recreational and cultural activities for evacuees. It also aims to uncover challenges and positive outcomes stemming from the hosting experience. The results of this research project are intended to benefit communities that host Indigenous wildfire evacuees, government agencies, service providers, and First Nations communities.

PROJECT TEAM

Dr. Douglas Yearwood

Postdoctoral Fellow, Earth & Atmospheric Sciences University of Alberta

ddyearwo@ualberta.ca

Dr. Tara McGee

Professor, Department of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences

tmcgee@ualberta.ca

Journal Articles & Reports

Foster-Sanchez, M., McGee, T. K. (2024). “It’s not the beds, it’s the people”: Building capacity to better host First Nation evacuations in northeast Ontario, Canada. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Volume 112. [open access article]

Mottershead, K., McGee, T. K., Christianson, A. (2020). Evacuating a first nation due to wildfire smoke: The case of Dene Tha’ First Nation. International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. [open access article]

McGee, T. (2020). Evacuating First Nations during wildfires in Canada. Fire Safety Journal, 1-12. [abstract]

Asfaw, H. W., McGee, T., & Christianson, A. C. (2020). Indigenous elders’ experiences, vulnerabilities and coping during hazard evacuation: The case of the 2011 Sandy Lake First Nation wildfire evacuation. Society and Natural Resources, 33, 1-19. [abstract]

Asfaw, H. W., Nation, S. L. F., McGee, T. K., & Christianson, A. C. (2019). Evacuation preparedness and the challenges of emergency evacuation in Indigenous communities in Canada: The case of Sandy Lake First Nation, Northern Ontario. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 34, 55-63. [abstract]

Asfaw, H. W., McGee, T., & Christianson, A. C. (2019). The role of social support and place attachment during hazard evacuation: the case of Sandy Lake First Nation, Canada. Environmental Hazards, 1-21. [open access article]

Asfaw, H. W., Sandy Lake First Nation., McGee, T. K., & Christianson, A. C. (2019). A qualitative study exploring barriers and facilitators of effective service delivery for Indigenous wildfire hazard evacuees during their stay in host communities. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 41, 101300. [abstract]

Christianson, A. C., McGee, T. K., & Whitefish Lake First Nation. (2019). Wildfire evacuation experiences of band members of Whitefish Lake First Nation 459, Alberta, Canada. Natural Hazards, 98(1), 9-29. [open access article]

McGee, T. K., Nation, M. O., & Christianson, A. C. (2019). Residents’ wildfire evacuation actions in Mishkeegogamang Ojibway Nation, Ontario, Canada. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, 33, 266-274. [abstract]

Yumagulova, L., Phibbs, S., Kenney, C. M., Yellow Old Woman-Munro, D., Christianson, A. C., McGee, T. K., & Whitehair, R. (2019). The role of disaster volunteering in Indigenous communities. Environmental Hazards, 1-18. [open access article]

Christianson, A., McGee, T., & Mottershead, K. (2015). Wildfire Evacuation Experiences of Whitefish Lake First Nation 459. Report prepared for Alberta Centre for Child, Family and Community Research. [abstract]

FNWEP Phase II Newsletters

Our newsletters provide regular updates about research and other partnership-related activities. Click on the button to view and download the newsletter series (PDF).

FNWEP Newsletter #1 (January, 2021)

FNWEP Newsletter #2 (November, 2021)

FNWEP Newsletter #3 (July, 2022)

Research Summaries

These 2-page summaries describe evacuation experiences, and also provide key lessons learned in five First Nations communities: Atikameg - Whitefish Lake First Nation 459 (AB), Dene Tha' First Nation (AB), Mishkeegogamang Ojibway Nation (ON), Sandy Lake First Nation (ON), and Onion Lake Cree Nation (SK). Click on an image to view and download a summary (PDF).

TwoPager_Whitefish.pdf

TwoPager_Dene_Tha_First_Nation.pdf

TwoPager_Mish.pdf

TwoPager_Sandy_Lake_First_Nation.pdf

TwoPager_OnionLake_1.pdf

Magazine & Newspaper Articles

When will Canada embrace Indigenous-led wildfire solutions that we know work?Indigenous Fire Guardians are year-round, community-based experts focused on land stewardship, cultural burning, fire prevention, emergency response, and post-fire recovery.

The Wildfire Effects Most People Don't SeeFor Little Grand Rapids and other remote First Nations, the worst devastation often comes after the blaze

Alberta Indigenous communities share wildfire stories for new evacuation guide

'We've been through it before': Dene Tha' First Nation practiced evacuation years before recent wildfire | CBC NewsAfter a wildfire evacuation in 2012, the Dene Tha' First Nation has been preparing in case it happened again.

Wildfire evacuations on First Nations have huge mental health impactsAndrea Smith Windspeaker.com Contributor While wildfires are disruptive to everyone, they are particularly disruptive for people in First Nations communities. One-third of all wildfire evacuations in Canada over the last 30 years have impacted Indigenous people, despite their being only 4.3 per cent of the population, according to a team of researchers who are studying the effects of wildfires on those who are evacuated because of them.

The Advance: July 2024 - CCA ReportsCCA names new president and CEO; Tara McGee on the age of wildfire awareness; read the latest on Canada’s tech workforce, AI’s limits, Canada’s digital divide, and more

Indigenous communities in Alberta coping with 'emotional roller-coaster' of wildfires | CBC NewsSignificant damage has been reported in communities like Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, Fox Lake and East Prairie Métis Settlement.

Indigenous Fire Ecology (GOOD FIRE) with Dr. Amy Christianson — alie wardCultural burns. Prescribed blazes. A healthy forest. What exactly is “good fire?” Let’s ask Indigenous fire scientist Dr. Amy Christianson, who is a co-host of the podcast ...Good Fire. This wonderfully generous and informed scholar took a quick break from her Canadian wilderness vacation to fill me

Wildfire evacuations have unique impacts on Indigenous communities: study | CBC NewsWhen wildfires spread they can have devastating impacts. New research says the effects may be even greater for Indigenous communities.

Advice for emergency managers from the First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership | HazNetThis research identifies ways to reduce negative impacts of evacuations in First Nation communities. By Tara K. McGee, Amy Christianson, Kyla Mottershead, and Henok Asfaw Introduction The First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership brings together researchers at the University of Alberta and Canadian Forest Service; seven First Nations in Alberta (Dene Tha’ First Nation and Whitefish …

Opposition MLA pushes for wildfire policy reforms in B.C., such as following Australia's 'stay or go' model | CBC NewsWith B.C. still dealing with a series of massive wildfires that have displaced thousands of people in the Okanagan and Shuswap, an opposition MLA is calling on the province to explore policy changes that could help in future seasons.

Wildfire evacuation plans on reserves could reduce stragglers by keeping closer to home, U of A researcher saysWhile many studies have sought to understand why people want to or choose to stay behind after fire evacuation orders, few of these studies have considered Indigenous communities.

First Nations evacuations complicated by legacy of residential schools, expert says | CBC NewsA fire research scientist explains how evacuations can be stressful for any community but especially so for First Nations.

Costing the Earth - Fighting Fire - BBC SoundsTom Heap asks if we can stop the global wildfire epidemic.

Presentations

Christianson, A.C. (2025, April 12-16). Leadership when Living with Fire & Walking with Fire. Panels at the 2025 Wildfire Resiliency and Training Summit. Penticton, British Columbia, Canada.

Christianson, A.C. (2024, Nov 14). Recent Fire Seasons. Hazards Webinar by the Natural Hazards Research Australia and AFAC. Online.

McGee, T.K. (2024, October 31). Keynote Session: What might evacuation look like through a transformative lens? Panel at the 2024 Wildland Fire Canada Conference organized by the International Association of Wildland Fire. Fredericton, New Brunswick.

Christianson, A.C. (2024, October 28). Transforming Fire Management through Indigenous Fire Stewardship. Workshop at the Wildland Fire Canada Conference. Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Christianson, A.C. (2024, September 25). Tackling the Inferno: Understanding and Addressing the Growing Frequency and Intensity of Wildfires in Canada. Presentation at the Senators for Climate Solutions session. Online.

Christianson, A.C. (2024, September 24). International Keynote Panel. National Indigenous Disaster Resilience Gathering by the National Indigenous Disaster Resilience (NIDR). Lismore, Australia.

McGee, T.K. (2024, September 20). Welcome to our City: How to be a Successful Host Community to First Nation Evacuees. Bordering on Disaster Conference. Lloydminster, Alberta, Canada.

McGee, T.K. (2024, August 27). First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership. Workshop 'Decolonizing Emergency Management: Reimagining Fire Safety in First Nation' by the Anishinabek Nation. Online.

McGee, T.K. (2024, June 18). Evacuations and Indigenous communities. Mass Evacuation Speaker Series webinar by York University. Online.

McGee, T.K. (2024, May 7). First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership. Climate Resilience Capacity Building (CRCB) Community of Practice Symposium by Municipal Climate Change Action Centre. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

McGee, T.K. (2024, April 24). Climate Emergencies and the Health of Evacuated Populations. Public Health 2024 Conference by the Canadian Public Health Association. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Christianson, A.C. and McGee, T.K. (2023, November 29) Indigenous Evacuations: Jurisdiction and Collaboration. Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre National Fire Management Conversations. Online.

Asfaw, H.W. (2022, February 16). First Nations Wildfire Evacuations: A Guide for Communities and External Agencies. United for Resilience: First Nations Emergency Management Symposium by the Nishnawbe Aski Nation. Online.

Asfaw, H.W. (2021, November 18). First Nations Wildfire Evacuations: A Guide for Communities and External Agencies. Webinar organized by the Southwest Fire Science Consortium (SWFSC) in the USA. Online. [Abstract]

Asfaw, H.W. (2021, October 16). First Nations Wildfire Evacuations: A Guide for Communities and External Agencies. 3rd Virtual Emergency Management Workshop: First Nations Wildfire Evacuations. Organized by the Anishinabek Nation in collaboration with Indigenous Service Canada. Online.

McGee, T.K. (2021, September 14). First Nations Wildfire Evacuations: A guide for communities and external agencies. Virtual presentation to the Canadian Red Cross. Online.

McGee, T.K. (2021, April 28). Evacuating First Nations during Wildfire in Canada. 13th International Symposium on Fire Safety Science by the International Association for Fire Safety Science (IAFSS). Online.

Christianson, A.C. (2020, November 2). Finding Our Niche: A conversation about stewardship, bright spots, and decolonizing a sustainable future. Special panel for the Resiliency Institute. Online.

McGee, T.K. (2020, August 19). Human Dimensions of Wildfire and the First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership. Natural Resources Canada Colloquium Series. Online.

Christianson, A.C. (2019, June 19). International Wildfire Workshop: Canada. NFPA Conference and Expo. San Antonio, Texas, United States.

Christianson, A.C. (2019, April 25). Blueprint for Wildland Fire Science: Indigenous Knowledge. Prince Albert Grand Council (PAGC) Forest Fire Task Team Session. Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, Canada.

Christianson, A.C. (2019, March). Indigenous Fire Stewardship Across Canada. Indigenous Fire Keepers 2019 Spring Workshop: Healing our Environment with Fire. Intertribal Fire Keepers: 3rd Cultural Indigenous Burning Gathering. Nicola Valley Institute of Technology. Merritt, British Columbia, Canada.

Christianson, A.C. (2018, December). Special Panel: Indigenous Fire Stewardship. 15th International Wildland Fire Safety Summit and 5th Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire Conference. Asheville, North Carolina, United States.

Christianson, A. (2018, May 22). Recognizing resilience of Indigenous communities in Canada to wildland fire. IAWF Fire Continuum Conference. Missoula, Montana, United States.

McGee, T.K. (2018, May 22). Wildfire evacuations of First Nations across Canada. IAWF Fire Continuum Conference. Missoula, Montana, United States.

McGee, T.K. (2018, January 17). Wanting to stay behind during a wildfire: Insights from the First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership. UAlberta North, University of Alberta. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Christianson, A.C. (2017, November 14). Evacuation experiences of Stanley Mission, Lac La Ronge Indian Band, Saskatchewan. UK Wildfire Conference. Bournemouth, United Kingdom.

Christianson, A.C. (2017, November 14). Wildfire Evacuations in Canada - What are we learning?. UK Wildfire Conference. Bournemouth, United Kingdom.

Christianson, A.C. (2017, November 1). Wildland Fire Evacuations in Canada. CFS-CIF national e-lecture series. Innovative Solutions to Respond to the Challenges of a Changing Climate. Online.

Asfaw, H.W. (2017, October 26). Wildfire evacuation and emergency management in remote First Nations: The case of Sandy Lake First Nation, Northern Ontario. Canadian Risk and Hazard Network (CRHNet) Annual Symposium. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

McGee, T.K. (2017, October 26). Evacuation intentions and actions during wildfires: Insights from the First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership. 2017 Canadian Risks and Hazards Network Symposium. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

McGee, T.K. (2017, October 20). Learning from the results of wildfire evacuation research. Emergency Social Services Network of Alberta. Morinville, Alberta, Canada.

McGee, T.K. (2017, June 19). Resilience in the face of wildfire: Research findings from Mishkeegogamang First Nation, Canada. International Symposium on Society and Resource Management. Umea, Sweden.

Asfaw, H.W. (2017, March 28). First Nations wildfire evacuation experiences: The case of Sandy Lake First Nation. Assembly of First Nations: First Nations Emergency Management Forum. Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

Christianson, A. (2016, November 29) Wildfire evacuation experiences of members of Whitefish Lake First Nation 459. PolicyWise Research and Practice Showcase. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Christianson, A.C. (2016, October 28). Indigenous peoples and smoke. National Smoke Forum. Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada.

McGee, T.K. (2016, June 23). First Nations wildfire evacuation experiences: Wanting to stay behind. International Symposium on Society and Resource Management. Houghton, Michigan, United States.

McGee, T.K. (2015, April 22). Wildfire evacuation experiences of a First Nations community in Alberta, Canada. 13TH International Wildland Fire Safety Summit & 4th Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire. Boise, Idaho, United States. [abstract]

Christianson, A.C. (2015, April 22). Indigenous Peoples and Wildland Fire Special Session. 13TH International Wildland Fire Safety Summit & 4th Human Dimensions of Wildland Fire. 2015. Boise, Idaho, United States.

Christianson, A.C. (2015, April 16). First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership. Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre National Conversation. Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

Christianson, A.C. (2014, October 7). First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership. Wildland Fire Canada Conference. Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada.

Christianson, A.C. (2014, October). First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership. 11th Canadian Risk and Hazards Network Symposium. Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

Christianson, A.C. (2014, May 21). Aboriginal Wildfire Evacuation Partnership. Large Wildland Fires Conference. Missoula, Montana, United States.

Christianson, A.C. (2014). First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership. Honouring our Knowledge Gift: An Aboriginal Research Forum. Enoch Cree Nation, Alberta, Canada.

Christianson, A.C. (2013, March 6). Aboriginal Wildfire Evacuation Partnership. Saskatchewan First Nations Emergency Management Forum, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

McGee, T.K. (2013). Aboriginal Wildfire Evacuation Project. First Nations Emergency Management Conference, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.

We respectfully acknowledge that we are situated on Treaty 6 territory, traditional lands of First Nations and Métis people.

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