Canadian Wildfires

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Abstract Type: Poster Abstract

Abstract

Canada has been devastated by a record-breaking series of wildfires since March 2023, with rising severity beginning in June 2023. Fires have raged in all 13 provinces and territories. The 2023 wildfire season burnt the most land in Canada's recorded history, exceeding the fire seasons of 1989, 1995, and 2014. With the acquired geospatial data and maps we can learn about what types of trees that have been destroyed in the Providence of Quebec, by evaluating the patterns and repercussions of previous wildfires, and the impacts of fires in 2023. Wildfires in Canada can significantly impact the landscape and their distribution. To understand this, various GIS and Remote Sensing methods are employed. For example, the Model Builder tool is used to automate the entire process. The Clip tool extracts specific regions of interest from larger datasets, while the Buffer tool creates buffer zones around fire-affected areas. Spatial interpolation estimates the distribution and density of specific tree types within identified fire perimeters. The 3D Analyst tool visualizes terrain and elevation data in three dimensions, enhancing understanding of topography, vegetation cover, and fire behavior. These methods provide an assessment of the extent of tree destruction caused by wildfires in Canada.