Since moving to Western Canada in 2008 I’ve been drawn to fire on the landscape; reinforced by some close brushes with wildfire in the South Chilcotins. After several years of emergency response work with Blackcomb Ski Patrol I was drawn to the field of Emergency Management, completing my Certificate in the discipline with the Justice Institute of BC in 2020. Wildfire remained just a peripheral interest as I navigated the post 2020 world of work, but I became increasingly involved in contingency planning, doing contract work on business continuity planning and presenting on emergency preparedness at a neighbourhood level. With the launch of Whitehorse’s FireSmart program, I leapt at the chance to get involved in emergency preparedness full time, and I’ve spent the previous 7 months in a whirlwind of activity; between community presentations, legislative meetings, home assessments, and vegetation management.