The Ministry of Environment, Wildfire Management Branch has released the results of a study completed on the Nisbet wildfire that occurred near Prince Albert, Saskatchewan in 2010.
The study examines the factors that surround the effects of a wildfire in the wildland urban interface, which is the zone of transition between unoccupied land and human development, and the severity of risk to properties located in forested areas.
The study makes 11 recommendations including: the need for a community wildfire protection plan; the establishment of a defensible space; and raising wildland urban interface property owners’ awareness of FireSmart principles so that they may be better prepared for a wildfire event.
The Nisbet fire started on the outskirts of Prince Albert in the early afternoon of May 17, 2010, and grew to 298 hectares in size within a three hour period. The fast moving fire resulted in a full evacuation of the area.
“The Nisbet fire serves as a reminder of the risk wildfire poses to anyone living near or within forested areas,” said Duncan.
The average rate of spread for the fire travelled at 22 metres per minute. Fire service authorities officially declared the fire out on June 3, 2010.
The origin of the fire was narrowed down to small building in a local residence of the subdivision of Nisbet, but the cause was never released.
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