Could you start by telling us about your role with the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) and how your own career has led you into wildfire and aviation operations?

I am one of the aviation coordinators here at CIFFC. We work together and with the agencies to position and deploy the Pan-Canadian Aerial Assets Program (PCAAP) resources. We arrange charter aircraft for the movements of domestic and international firefighters and work on training and development projects for national aviation priorities. I started my wildfire career in 2015 as a firefighter in New Brunswick. I moved to Alberta in 2019 and joined their helitack program, which was my entry into aerial operations. I worked seasonally as a firefighter until 2024, when I transitioned into full-time and more overhead roles, including training as a Helicopter Coordinator, and then joined CIFFC in spring of 2026 shortly after PCAAP was announced.

What does your role look like during a major wildfire response, and how closely are you involved with the coordination or deployment of aviation resources?

During wildfire response, the aviation coordinators are responsible for liaising between our contractors, the CIFFC Duty Officer, and the wildfire agencies to fill resource requests as they come in. We also assess fire hazard and ignition potential and pre-position aircraft as required, so deployment times are shortened. 

From your own experience, what are some of the most challenging environments or incidents in which you have seen aircraft used to support wildfire operations?

The most challenging environments for me have been in situations where several values near communities are at risk and needing to choose where to focus your resources. It’s a hard decision to make, but diverting aerial resources to where they can support firefighters or to areas where there are achievable objectives is sometimes necessary.

The most challenging environments for me have been in situations where several values near communities are at risk and needing to choose where to focus your resources

Canada’s wildfire seasons have placed increasing demands on firefighting resources in recent years. How has the role of aviation within the national response evolved during your time in the sector?

Up until 2026, the national role in aviation response was to coordinate movement of resources between agencies when resource requests come in. This is the first year that there have been federal aerial resources to deploy. [In May, the Government of Canada announced it was funding 10 new wildfire-fighting aircraft and two firefighting support assets in order to boost nationwide response capacity.]

When several provinces or territories are facing significant wildfire activity simultaneously, how does CIFFC help determine where limited aviation resources are most urgently needed?

CIFFC doesn’t decide where the aviation resources go but can provide insight to help inform the final decision amongst wildfire agencies.

What are the biggest operational challenges involved in moving aircraft, crews, and supporting resources between provinces and territories – or internationally – during periods of intense wildfire activity?

The biggest operational challenge moving aircraft and crews between provinces and territories is providing them with overhead support. In most provinces and territories, air attack officers are used during tanker operations, and helicopter coordinators are used over incidents with numerous rotary-wing resources. These roles require years of experience and training and can be difficult to recruit for, especially during times of high fire loads, when the demand increases.

The biggest operational challenge moving aircraft and crews between provinces and territories is providing them with overhead support

Wildfire aviation brings together pilots, air attack personnel, ground crews, incident commanders, and multiple agencies. From your experience, what makes that coordination work effectively, particularly during fast-moving incidents?

In my experience, coordination works most effectively when there are clear objectives everyone is working towards. When the incident prioritizes certain objectives and they are understood by everyone, people can safely work towards completing the objectives. If weather shifts or resourcing levels change, the objectives remain the same and people can adjust tactics more readily.

Coordination works most effectively when there are clear objectives everyone is working towards

How are new technologies, aircraft capabilities or operational tools changing the way aerial firefighting missions are planned and carried out in Canada?

Night vision technology is becoming bigger in the aerial firefighting world, allowing agencies to continue delivering water to high-priority fires through the night. Drones are also being used more widely, expanding from only being used for recon and infrared scanning to being used for aerial ignition operations. These are just more tools in the toolbox to help strengthen aerial response.

Wildfire aviation is an inherently demanding operating environment. What lessons have you personally taken from previous fire seasons about managing aviation risk while still responding quickly to communities under threat?

The main lessons I’ve taken from my experience in the field is that no forest or structure is worth risking life for, and that sometimes we can’t beat Mother Nature no matter what resources we throw at a wildfire. When responding to communities under threat, more resources are not always better; it can often create chaos and confusion that results in safety risks and lead to less effective suppression than a smaller, more coordinated response.

No forest or structure is worth risking life for, and that sometimes we can’t beat Mother Nature no matter what resources we throw at a wildfire

Looking ahead, what do you believe Canada’s aerial firefighting community will need to do differently to remain effective as wildfire seasons become more demanding?

I would say we need to focus on supporting the staff who work with aerial resources. Aerial resources becoming more in demand as wildfire seasons continue to be longer and more extreme puts a lot of pressure on wildfire staff, pilots, and aircraft maintenance engineers (AMEs). Ensuring we have enough qualified staff nationally to support air operations, while providing them sufficient training and prioritizing safe operations, will help us remain effective.