A report by the POLIS Wildfire Resilience Project, based at the University of Victoria‘s Centre for Global Studies has revealed how beneficial fire will be essential to reducing wildfire risk and promoting wildfire resilience.
“Beneficial Fire in British Columbia: An Exploration of How Fire Can Contribute to Wildfire Resilience”, released on 13 May 2025 explores the concept of beneficial fire, which offers an important shift away from the view that fire is bad.
Kevin Kriese, report Co-Author and Senior Wildfire and Land Use Analyst at the POLIS Wildfire Resilience Project said: “To promote wildfire resilience, society can increase the amount of beneficial fire and reduce the amount of detrimental fire”
Over the past decade, wildfires in British Columbia (BC) have broken numerous records, resulting in significant social, economic and ecological impacts.
Addressing this wildfire crisis will require a whole-of-society approach that includes improving governance, expanding proactive strategies that mitigate risks to ecosystems and communities, improving knowledge of wildfire and growing capacity among governments, communities and industry.
Report authors define beneficial fire as planned or unplanned wildland fire that has positive effects on ecosystem processes and functions and has acceptable risk to human communities. Beneficial fire typically includes cultural fire (Indigenous-led) and prescribed fire and managed wildfire.
Kriese added: “Promoting beneficial fire requires increasing the amount of cultural fire, as well as prescribed fire.
“There are a growing number of projects across BC led by Indigenous governments, the provincial government and local communities that are putting fire back on the land. This is cause for optimism.”
In addition, when they don’t threaten communities, wildfires can provide ecological benefits. Communities can take steps to reduce risks from wildfire, such as FireSmart projects.
Then, under the right conditions and in the right places, some wildfires can be allowed to do important ecological work.
The authors recommend and describe four opportunities for action to advance beneficial fire as part of a whole-of-society strategy to promote wildfire resilience in BC.
One key aspect is the need for better information and awareness about the benefits of fire. With better information, communities can understand when fires are providing ecological benefits and when they are posing unacceptable risks.
Andrea Barnett, report Co-Author and Project Facilitator and Analyst at the POLIS Wildfire Resilience Project commented: “Ultimately, it’s communities that evaluate and manage risk and trade-offs to determine what kinds of fire are beneficial, so strong place-based governance is a priority.
“Through place-based planning and decision-making, communities can become more wildfire resilient. They can assess to decide where and when to promote more beneficial fire or continue to suppress fires that have unacceptable risk.”
A POLIS Wildfire Resilience Project, based at the University of Victoria’s Centre for Global Studies, explores the concept of beneficial fire in reducing the increasing risk of wildfire.
