The 2003 wildfire season is noted for being one of the most catastrophic in British Columbia’s history, swallowing up more than 256,000 hectares and more than 300 homes by the time the season ended.
Colin Swan was on the ground during that fire-fighting season, and it left him with many unanswered questions — most important being how to prevent this from happening again.
Swan, who will present his research during the March 5 Masters of Science in Environmental Science Showcase, participated in prevention efforts following that disastrous season.
“I’d like to think that my research will help make safer communities, and make it so that we don’t ever have that catastrophic loss of 238 homes in a single night.” — Colin Swan
A key to mitigating wildfires is to remove fuel — downed and dead trees for example — and he did this while working for the Wildfire Management Branch for several years before beginning his graduate program in 2013. Read More…
