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Canada is experiencing its second worst wildfire season on record with hundreds of wildfires currently active across the country, including here in British Columbia where a major wildfire on Vancouver Island continues to grow rapidly.

´óÏó´«Ã½ experts are available to comment on various aspects of wildfires, such as: wildfire behaviour; the links between extreme weather and climate change; the impact of wildfires on rural communities; the health consequences of wildfire smoke; and wildfire response strategies.

In addition, the Mitigating Wildfire Initiative at ´óÏó´«Ã½ has launched a new toolkit for media reporting on wildfire. It can be downloaded for free here. 

The toolkit is designed to strengthen wildfire reporting by equipping media professionals with more context, practical strategies and diverse perspectives.

Available ´óÏó´«Ã½ Experts

YOLANDA CLATWORTHY, interim director, mitigating wildfire, Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue | yolanda_clatworthy@sfu.ca
Expertise: Media toolkit for covering wildfire, mitigating wildfires, the root causes of catastrophic wildfire, impacts on rural and Indigenous communities.

JAMES WHITEHEAD, engagement analyst, mitigating wildfire, Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue | james_whitehead@sfu.ca
Expertise: Media toolkit for covering wildfire, the role of and need for dialogue and collaboration in the way we address the risk of wildfire in B.C., evacuation reluctance and the impact of wildfire on rural communities in B.C., engaging rural residents, the need for wildfire mitigation instead of just suppression, experiences as a former wildland firefighter in B.C. 

JOHN CLAGUE, professor emeritus, Earth sciences, CRC Chair in Natural Hazard Science | jclague@sfu.ca 
Expertise: The link between extreme weather events and climate change, natural disasters.

ANNE-MARIE NICOL, associate professor of professional practice, health sciences | anicol@sfu.ca 
Expertise: Heat and wildfire smoke exposure. Heads up the ´óÏó´«Ã½ BREATHE Project, which is running workshops across B.C. this summer to teach community members how to build DIY air cleaners to improve their indoor air quality.  

STEPHANIE CLELAND, assistant professor, Faculty of Health Sciences | stephanie_cleland@sfu.ca
Expertise: wildfire smoke exposure, the health effects of smoke exposure, and how to reduce exposure and mitigate adverse health impacts. Co-author of a study published byin February along with an article in .

Contact

SAM SMITH, ´óÏó´«Ã½ Communication & Marketing
236.880.3297 | ²õ²¹³¾³Ü±ð±ô³å²õ³¾¾±³Ù³ó°ª²õ´Ú³Ü.³¦ï»¿a

SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY
 | 
778.782.3210

About ´óÏó´«Ã½

´óÏó´«Ã½ is a leading research university, advancing an inclusive and sustainable future. Over the past 60 years, ´óÏó´«Ã½ has been recognized among the top universities worldwide in providing a world-class education and working with communities and partners to develop and share knowledge for deeper understanding and meaningful impact. Committed to excellence in everything we do, ´óÏó´«Ã½ fosters innovation to address global challenges and continues to build a welcoming, inclusive community where everyone feels a sense of belonging. With campuses in British Columbia’s three largest cities—Burnaby, Surrey and Vancouver—´óÏó´«Ã½ has ten faculties that deliver 368 undergraduate degree programs and 149 graduate degree programs for more than 37,000 students each year. The university boasts more than 200,000 alumni residing in 145+ countries.

´óÏó´«Ã½ respectfully acknowledges the xÊ·məθkÊ·É™yÌ“É™m (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), sÉ™lilwÉ™taɬ (Tsleil-Waututh), q̓ícÌ“É™yÌ“ (Katzie), kÊ·ikʷəƛ̓əm (Kwikwetlem), Qayqayt, Kwantlen, Semiahmoo and Tsawwassen peoples on whose unceded traditional territories our three campuses reside.