Mining In The Digital Age: Wildfire Mitigation

Wildfire hazard is not new, but it is changing and the risk of wildfires destroying mining and industrial operations in remote locations has never been higher. Wildfire is increasing steadily in frequency, extent, and severity, and there has been a dramatic growth in mining and other industrial operations facing substantial losses because of shutdowns and forced evacuations.

Remote operations that are hours away by road or air from the nearest firefighting base require custom wildfire risk mitigation efforts that recognize the absence of nearby firefighting resources. They need to plan to mitigate these disasters independently rather than hoping the assistance of others will arrive in time. In today’s changing fire environment, perspectives and approaches to mitigating risk must also change. It is no longer a question of “if,” but rather a question of “when.”

Andy Low is a senior wildfire specialist, and special projects lead at Forsite. He brings 27 years of practical, on-the-ground wildfire operations experience to his role helping industrial clients improve their fire resilience, and he says, “There is a growing recognition across the mining and industrial sectors that wildfire threat needs to be considered in relation to specific operating locations and the services and transportation networks that support them. There is realization that wildfire agencies are becoming increasingly taxed during fire seasons, and that can translate into remote resource projects needing to be more self-reliant in their planning and decision making. Companies are now proactively integrating wildfire into their broader risk management strategies, rather than reacting once a threat is imminent.”

Fortunately, today’s digital landscape is giving us better data and improving ability and accuracy when analyzing forests and developing predictive weather and wildfire models. Forsite’s expertise, strategic mindset, and technology is at the forefront of risk mitigation efforts, collaborating with companies to develop and implement innovative technologies and tools to enhance wildfire resilience.

Comprehensive management approach

Mitigation of wildfire risk requires a complete management approach to reduce wildfires ignited from infrastructure and operations, as well as mitigating risk to infrastructure and staff. Mining companies need to be prepared for natural and human-caused wildfires that impact on their worksites, as well as understand the liability and consequences of operations causing wildfire. Effective solutions are approached through the four phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

The foundation of effective wildfire risk mitigation is a thorough risk assessment. There is a need to understand the complexities and intricacies of planning for a wildfire emergency, recognizing that every operation is unique and working to identify solutions that work. Combining extensive experience in wildfire management and the latest wildfire science with insights gained from previous work on wildfire risk assessments and mitigation planning for mining operations allows to provide insightful, efficient solutions.

Mr. Low says, “Forsite’s process starts with a boots-on-the-ground assessment of wildfire exposure and site-specific vulnerabilities, followed by a spatial analysis of fuels, access, suppression capability, and ignition risk. We work closely with clients to co-develop practical mitigation strategies, ranging from vegetation management to emergency response planning. The result is a clear, actionable roadmap that supports both operational and environmental goals. It is comprehensive, site-specific, and grounded in real-world feasibility.”

He adds, “Wildfire risk mitigation protects more than just physical assets — it helps ensure worker safety, reduces downtime, and safeguards critical infrastructure. For industrial operators, these efforts can also support compliance, insurance eligibility, and environmental stewardship. It is about building resilience into the operation from the ground up.”

Resiliency through infrastructure adaptation

Increasing resiliency to wildfire is rooted in changing how we interface infrastructure and the natural environment. Through proper site preparation, vegetation management, and choice of building materials, it is possible to construct facilities and infrastructure that can withstand intense wildfires. Increasing ventilation in buildings and supplying proper PPE may allow work to continue under smoky conditions that would otherwise be considered a health risk. Planning redundancy into supply lines or improving roadways will facilitate safer access and egress from your site during an emergency and facilitate a continuous flow of critical supplies during a wildfire.

Ultimately, improving the resiliency of your site means increasing worker safety and reducing the likelihood of evacuations or infrastructure damage from wildfires. In a recently completed wildfire risk assessment for a client in B.C.’s Golden Triangle, Forsite identified key wildfire vulnerabilities related to access and egress under emergency evacuation conditions. “The client appreciated the clarity and practicality of the recommendations — especially how we tied risk directly to operational impact. They have been in the process of using our report to refine their emergency response procedures, which is personally gratifying as that has a direct relationship to worker safety,” says Low.

Asked about common problems he has seen at remote sites and easy wins, Low recommends starting with unmanaged vegetation buildup in and around critical infrastructure — fuel that is just waiting for an ignition source, “A simple but high-impact recommendation is to establish and maintain a well-defined fuel-free or fuel-reduced zone around infrastructure. It is cost-effective, easy to implement, and significantly reduces the risk of fire spread to key assets,” he added.

Analytics and R&D for wildfire risk mitigation

The rapidly evolving digital landscape is giving us better data and improving our ability and accuracy in analyzing forests and developing predictive models. Forsite is at the forefront, collaborating with companies to mitigate both wildfire risk to and from infrastructure. Our team has been hard at work, developing new wildfire situational awareness products and services designed to alert operations during periods of elevated wildfire weather conditions.

Forsite offers a wide range of deliverables based on analytics and research and development suitable for wildfire mitigation in the mining industry, including risk mapping and spatial data, hazard assessments, mitigation planning and implementation, emergency management training, wildfire behaviour modeling (either static or real time), and operational firefighting maps.

Additionally, we work to prepare companies by prioritizing wildfire risk and using our extensive operational response experience to recommend mitigation activities. Examples of Forsite initiatives include building a web-based mapping platform that displays relevant wildfire information with infrastructure and links wildfire hazard with operational responses.

Forsite combines on-the-ground wildfire expertise with spatial analysis tools, remote sensing, and predictive fire behaviour modeling. Our wildfire risk assessment approach integrates remote sensing, LiDAR data, and custom fuel models to generate site-specific insights. These tools help clients prioritize mitigation actions based on real risk — not guesswork. Low says, “For remote and high-value sites, tools like LiDAR and custom fuel typing are must-haves for precision planning.”

Wildfire behaviour modeling is a strategic solution used to illustrate how a wildfire could move across the landscape surrounding your operations under various weather conditions. Models help determine how fast a fire could move toward your infrastructure, which locations are most at risk, and how difficult a wildfire may be to suppress, leading to more accurate decision making and planning. Accurate modeling can allow for decisions to be based on real-time data, increasing their effectiveness and enhancing safety for all aspects of your operation.

In-house fire behaviour specialists

Forsite and our partners have the expertise of seasoned fire weather and behaviour specialists, coupled with skilled remote sensing analysts. This blend of remote sensing technology and leading-edge wildfire science empowers us to thoroughly assess potential wildfire risk. We are committed to supporting our partners and their operations to safeguard infrastructure and local communities.

Low says, “We have coupled that with some outstanding minds who have really strong graduate-level analytical skills. The result is that we can put together analyses that are grounded in decades of wildfire experience. That, paired with our advanced spatial tools, creates real value for our clients.”

Aside from internal emergency planning and site-level mitigation measures, building relationships with nearby communities and local emergency response agencies can increase the effectiveness of wildfire mitigation and strengthen community relations between your project and the public. Wildfire risk management is challenging and fostering partnerships across stakeholder groups, industries, professionals, and the public is crucial.

Post-wildfire hazard mitigation

Risk from wildfire does not end after the fire has passed. High-intensity wildfires increase the likelihood of mass movements, flash floods, and permafrost melt for many years after the wildfire has passed, putting infrastructure at increased risk. Pre-emptively identifying post-wildfire hazards that may require additional qualified professional assessment.

Changing fire environment

Mounting pressure is coming from the research community and wildfire management agencies to change how we perceive wildfire risk. The natural ecological role wildfire fulfills as an agent of renewal, enhancing biological diversity, and increasing resiliency of natural areas has become strikingly clear. These ecosystem services are not only important for the natural environment but provide immeasurable value to our society. It has become obvious that a century of striving for fire exclusion and aggressive wildfire suppression is an unsustainable path forward. Wildfire is a natural part of our ecosystems, and we must adapt to live and operate alongside it.

As the past two decades have shown, wildfire risk is not going away. The frequency, extent, and severity of wildfires today are demanding innovative and multidisciplinary solutions to meet this challenge and move towards full-circle fire resiliency. 

Mac Prawdzik is a fuels management specialist at Forsite Consultants.

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