Mitigating Wildfire Initiative

Catastrophic wildfire is reshaping Canada: from health and housing to biodiversity, climate, and the economy. Yet while billions are spent fighting fires, only a fraction goes toward preventing them. 

What if we chose a different path?

• What if prevention was something we built together, year-round, and systems made the right actions easier?

• What if long-term resilience received the same commitment as emergency response?

• What if people, communities, and ecosystems could thrive in a future where we live with fire, not only fight it?

The Mitigating Wildfire Initiative (MWI) at Simon Fraser University exists to make that future real.

They bridge policy, culture, and practice so prevention becomes visible, fundable, and actionable. As a trusted convenor, they create the relationships and structures that enable joint action on prevention. They build spaces for learning and shared problem-solving, helping partners test ideas and co-create solutions that reduce risk before catastrophic fires begin. Grounded in the understanding that fire is natural and necessary, they help de-risk collaboration, amplify proven solutions, and strengthen the foundations of prevention.