First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership

Hello! Tân’si Ɂedlanet’e Boozhoo Aaniin

The First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership was established in 2013 to bring together researchers, First Nations evacuated due to wildfires, and agencies involved in providing support during wildfire evacuations. The Partnership's aim is to learn about how First Nation peoples and communities have been affected by recent evacuations, and to make recommendations for how to reduce the negative impacts of wildfire evacuations.

The First Nations Wildfire Evacuation Partnership is made up of First Nations in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Ontario, along with researchers from the University of Alberta and the Canadian Forest Service. The Partnership is supported by a number of federal and provincial agencies, and receives funding from multiple sources.

To learn more about our current research, see Our Research.

To get in touch with the Partnership, please contact Dr. Tara McGee.

Partnership News

New book! First Nations Wildfire Evacuations: A Guide for Communities and External Agencies

January 2021. The FNWEP has published a guide based on interviews with hundreds of evacuees across seven First Nations. The Guide includes practical advice for evacuation preparedness and is intended for both Indigenous communities and supporting agencies. To order the book, visit UBC Press.

June 2020. Results of former MA in Human Geography student Kyla Mottershead's thesis have been published in the International Journal of Disaster Risk Science. Through interviews with 31 study participants, Ms. Mottershead identified the factors that contributed to the community’s resilience during the evacuation. Authors suggest measures to improve evacuations and emergency management in the community and other First Nations in Canada.

May 2020. A new review article by Dr. Tara McGee summarizes research from seven First Nations. She finds that few First Nations communities had an updated emergency plan, and that wildfire smoke was a significant health concern. While social and financial support helped evacuees, challenges lingered long after the evacuation.


We respectfully acknowledge that we are situated on Treaty 6 territory, traditional lands of First Nations and Métis people.