Strengthening the national capacity for the safe, responsible and effective use of prescribed fire.
Led by Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais, the Canadian Prescribed Fire Training Program (CPFTP) addresses the ecological imbalance caused by decades of fire suppression by strengthening national capacity for the safe, effective use of prescribed fire. Through evidence-informed training, cross-disciplinary collaboration and respect for Indigenous-led fire stewardship, the program equips practitioners nationwide to restore healthier, more resilient landscapes.
Weston Family Foundation Partnership
The Canadian Prescribed Fire Training Program is a national initiative co-developed by the UBC Okanagan and the Weston Family Foundation. Housed within the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences—where wildfire and fire ecology research directly inform its training and education—the CPFTP is advancing the safe and effective use of prescribed fire to support healthier, more resilient ecosystems across Canada.
Training for Canadian Prescribed Fire Practitioners
These non-credit courses will be delivered through a decentralized, national training model ensuring the training reflects regional realities. The curriculum will be developed over the next couple years by a team with deep experience in prescribed fire, wildfire management and applied fire science.
Courses will be available for registration through UBC Continuing and Professional Education.
“Changing how we manage fuels, fires and landscapes are things we can address right now. We have policies and people who can do the work—including prescribed burning and thinning—and we have the knowledge.”
Dr. Mathieu Bourbonnais, The Future of Wildfire
Other Wildfire Programs
Fundamentals of Wildland Fire Ecology
and Management
Presented from both Indigenous and western perspectives, this program combines knowledge of western fire science and Indigenous ways of knowing with landscape and fire ecology and social sciences.
People
Want to connect with the Canadian Prescribed Fire Training Program rxfire.rxfeu@ubc.ca
