TRU joins wildfire prediction network led by coalition of 10 US-Canada universities

Thompson Rivers University (TRU) has joined the newly created US-Canada Centre on Climate Resilient Western Interconnected Grid, a network of 10 other US and Canadian universities.

A release issued on Tuesday says TRU will be working with other western universities on creating improved wildfire prediction models.

The 10 universities will also work together to protect the Western Interconnected Grid, one of two major power grids in North America that services roughly 80 million people over 4.6 million square kilometres.

Dr. Mike Flannigan – BC Innovation Research Chair in Predictive Services, Emergency Management and Fire Science at TRU – is working closely with other leading experts to enhance the power grid’s resilience to the rising frequency, intensity and duration of extreme weather events.

Flannigan’s work has indicated a need for improved wildfire prediction models in Western Canada and the US.

“Our research team at TRU strongly supports this effort to better protect our communities and our electrical power supply during this period of increasing challenges from climate change,” says Flannigan.

The announcement comes two weeks after the university’s senate endorsed a wildfire research institute.

The coalition includes:

• University of Utah

• The WIFIRE Lab at the University of California San Diego

• The University of New Mexico

• The Desert Research Institute

• The University of Calgary

• The University of British Columbia

• The University of British Columbia Okanagan Campus

• The University of Alberta

• The University of Saskatchewan

• The University of Regina

• Thompson Rivers University.

The centre has received $5 million funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation and $3.75 million funding from NSERC (Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada).

More information on the US-Canada Centre on Climate Resilient Western Interconnected Grid can be found here.

Thumbnail photo credit: BC Wildfire Service file image