| Topic | Activities & Assignments | Learning Goals. By the end of this section, you will be able to ... |
|---|---|---|
| Lab / HW | Start reviewing the topics below and answering the assignment questions in class as Lab work, and finish at home as homework. Submit via Canvas within a week after today. | Focus your studies of the topics below in order to answer the Lab/Homework, attached here as a (pdf) or as a zipped Word.docx . |
| Antecedent / Precursor Conditions | See nfb 5.1
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Explain why conditions such as drought in the preceeding year, months, and days can affect current fire conditions. For example, see BC Wildfire's discussion of the 2023 fire season video (1:41). Also see discussions for other years (2024 , ) and list what issues the fire-weather specialists focus on. Discuss where to get current drought info for Canada ( AgCanada , such as this example from Aug 2026 ), and how the Grace satellite is able to infer drought worldwide. |
| Spring Dip | See nfb 5.2 | Explain the significance, causes and timing of the "spring dip (website, with 2 videos of 2:14 & 1:48 min)" increase in fire potential in Canada. |
| Lightning & Other Ignition Sources | See nfb 5.3 | Explain what is needed for wildfires to ignite, and compare natural vs. human sources of ignition (website with videos). Access and utilize lightning detection networks and lightning forecast sites. Describe temporal and spatial patterns of lightning-ignited wildfires in W. Canada. |
| Holdover and Zombie Fires | See nfb 5.5 | Explain what a holdover fire (website, with videos 5:09, 7:30, 11:00, 2:48, ) is, and what conditions allow it to happen. |
| Weather Briefing | Short (10 minute) weather briefing on Vancouver weather by a student team. Utilize the weather-briefing "cookbook" to select which images and movies to show. | Give a well structured weather briefing using appropriate maps and graphs, and finishing within the alotted time. Gain experience in public speaking and working as a team. Strengthen your understanding of atmospheric dynamics and thermodynamics. Strengthen your ability to form a 3-D picture of the weather in your mind. Utilize appropriate terminology and jargon. |
| Fire Danger Ratings, including for Canada | See nfb 6.1. | Compare and contrast the main components of the (old) Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System (CFFDRS), the US National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS), and Australia's McArthur Mark 5 Forest Fire Danger Index. (with 8 min Australia video) |
| Fire Weather Index (FWI) Overview | See nfb 6.2 . | List the 6 main modules of the (old) FWI, and describe an general terms what each module does. (with 3.5 min video) |