Case studies of Wildfire Evacuations in Canada Between 2020 and 2023 Using Publicly Available Sources

Abstract

An increasing number of communities are affected by wildfires in the wildland-urban interface (WUI) in Canada. While statistical information about wildfire evacuations in Canada is available, systematic descriptions of individual incidents are rare. However, case studies can be useful to illustrate and understand aspects unique to affected communities. Using an established reporting template, this paper provides an overview of five case studies that led to community evacuations across Canada between January 2020 and August 2023: (1) the White Rock Lake wildfire in 2021 (British Columbia), (2) the Edson Forest Area wildfire in 2023 (Alberta), (3) the Lebel-sur-Quévillon wildfire in 2023 (Québec), (4) the Tantallon wildfire in 2023 (Nova Scotia), and (5) the Behchokǫ̀-Yellowknife wildfire in 2023 (Northwest Territories). Information from publicly available resources was used to describe the communities, environmental conditions, incidents and evacuation. Information gaps where no data was publicly accessible are also highlighted. The case studies suggest that communities faced several challenges during the wildfire evacuations, most commonly related to communication. The case studies help better understand the context in which wildfire evacuations occur and how communities respond and manage wildfire evacuations in Canada.