Fires have been a part of B.C.’s landscape since time immemorial and are critical to healthy ecosystems. However, colonization interrupted Indigenous fire stewardship, and a century of changes to land use excluded fire and industrialized forests. Climate change exacerbates all this and fuels the wildfires sweeping the planet. 

The Pacific Institute for Climate Solutions has been deeply involved in wildfire research for more than a decade.

PICS has supported numerous projects that aim to improve wildfire science and forest management practices, work to increase community resilience in the face of wildfires, and better understand the greenhouse gas emissions from wildfires.

Many of PICS-supported projects in this field include close collaboration with practitioners and Indigenous communities.