2026 CRHNet Symposium

Opening remarks from Stephen Lacroix, the Managing Director of the Alberta Emergency Management Agency

This presentation will explore a research project titled "Learning from Indigenous Perspectives for Wildland Fire Management from Treaty 5 and 9 Remote First Nations"— a collaboration between Keewaytinook Okimakanak Tribal Council (KOTC), Lakehead University, and the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, aimed at understanding how to better support the values, needs, and resilience of remote First Nations community members in relation to wildfire management and evacuations.

Our goal is to present stories and lived experiences that members of KOTC member communities shared with us. Participants in the research discussed motivations for engagement in wildfire management activities; aspects of evacuations that caused stress; barriers and gaps that hindered participation in wildland firefighting and mitigation activities, and that undermined effective evacuations; and pathways to success, where activities overcame challenges and benefitted both individuals and the wider community. Through these stories, we can better understand the impacts of wildfire-related emergencies and gain insight into the preparedness that affects response and recovery, the hopes of community members, and the building of community-led resilience. The CRHNet Symposium theme "Living the Lessons: From Impact to Insight", aligns with the community-led objectives that shaped this research – to learn from the lived experiences of those who have been on the frontlines of Indigenous wildfire management and those who have lived through wildfire-related evacuations, and to find ways to integrate the lessons we learn into wiser practices and decision-making processes. We will discuss seven wise practices for wildfire management with remote First Nations that emerged from this research. For policymakers and practitioners, this presentation will offer considerations for and insights into how to translate lessons from the past into actions for building stronger, more resilient communities in the future.

We would also like to share a link to some of the work that has come out of this project, hosted by our Keewaytinook Okimakanak Tribal Council partners at https://kogeo.ca/catalogue/#/documents?filter%7Bcategory.identifier.in%7D=Wildfire .

Boulder, Colo. (USA) – like much of the Rocky Mountain State – is continuing to face increased threat from wildfire.

As Colorado continues to expand its preparedness and pass new laws that mandate that insurance companies take into account mitigation measures, among other new measures, the City of Boulder is also taking critical steps to mitigate risk in their community.

Boulder has been investing in tools to help make better data-driven decisions, primarily through expanded, high-quality home assessments.

Attendees will hear directly from Danielle McNutt, Boulder Fire-Rescue’s community risk reduction senior program manager and Fire Aside’s CEO, Jason Brooks, about how her agency was inundated with Wildfire Detailed Home Assessment requests (DHA) following the Marshall Fire and scaled to meet the moment.
McNutt will hone in on a tangible and real-world example: the Wonderland Hills community in Boulder.

By collaborating with one of the United States' top minds on predicting wildfire behavior in the built environment, Dr. Hussam Mahmoud of Vanderbilt University, McNutt was able to implement very specific and impactful choices.

Wonderland Hills constitutes 15 homeowners’ associations (HOA), which means that close collaboration is required between residents, community leaders, fire officials, and numerous public agencies and other regional partners.

By leveraging regional and local grant incentives for maximum impact, the City of Boulder is ensuring vegetation work by Boulder County Parks & Open Space is matched by residents to do their part to maximize risk reduction and return on limited public funds.

As a result of this vision, Wonderland Hills and Boulder homeowners now have access to high-quality, detailed, and actionable risk assessment information about how to protect themselves.

Following the talk, attendees will be able to go to their local policymakers and make a clear and compelling case as to why their community can repeat this playbook.