DATES AND LOCATIONS

2026 October 26-27 0800-1600 MD of Bighorn Bighorn at Emergency Services - Ghost/Benchlands Fire Hall 64095 Alberta 40 Benchlands, Alberta

2026 November 2-3 0800-1600 TRU Campus - 155 Main St #10 St'át'imc/Lillooet, BC

2027 April 26-27 0800-1600 County of Grande Prairie Fire Service at - Fire Station 1760051 Alberta 668 Grande Prairie, Alberta

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Whether you're responding to wildfire, planning prescribed burns, or working in fuels management, understanding fire behaviour is essential for making sound decisions and communicating effectively on the ground.

This course is built for the real work fire practitioners face, from the pace of initial attack and the grind of wildfire suppression to the precision of controlled fire and the planning behind FireSmart. This version keeps the theory but makes it work in the field, so you can read the Red Book with purpose, write burn (and non-burn) prescriptions that hold up in action, predict the key fire behaviour outputs that matter, and apply fire behaviour principles in the moment.

At successful completion of this course, participants will have met the following learning outcomes under the Canadian Forest Fire Behaviour Prediction (FBP) System:

1. Identify and describe the characteristics of fuels, weather, and topography that influence fire behaviour.

2. Describe the interaction of fuels, weather, and topography on fire behaviour in wildfire, prescribed fire, fuels management and safety.

3. Interpret, communicate, apply, and document fire behaviour and weather information.

4. Demonstrate the use of weather tools and Red Book to determine primary outputs and fire behaviour predictions.

5. Recognize the FBP Fuel Type Descriptions and unique fire behaviour and effects for each type.

6. Apply the information to develop safe and effective fire management decisions, e.g., fuels management, prescribed fire, suppression.

Two days, $555. Maximum 24 students. Course comes with a Red Book, Student Workbook, and internal access to a site that contains practice scenarios and cheat sheets. This course will run with a minimum of 14 students.

Recommended: Students will feel like they have a solid foundation going into this course by reviewing weather material or completing S211 Fire Weather and Environment.

• I already use the Canadian Fire Behaviour Prediction (FBP) System. What will I gain from this course?

  This course goes beyond theory. It teaches you how to use the Red Book and weather tools in real-world scenarios, improving your ability to interpret, communicate, and act on fire behaviour predictions confidently across fire types and landscapes.

  It also is required for many fireline and precribed fire positions.

• Is this the S-290 Intermediate Fire Behaviour?

  No.

  NWCG S-290 is the American version of intermediate fire behaviour you can take online. It does not get into fuel typing, the Canadian system (models and indices) nor the Red Book. Though a great introduction to fire behaviour, you will not leave with the skills to predict peak burning, overnight conditions and burn windows.

  Canadian S-290 is the fundamentals for fire behaviour, quickly introducing the Canadian FBP System. It’s a few hours online and you need to go through your provincial agencies to get access.

• My agency only recognizes S-490

  S-490 is Advanced Fire Behaviour which teaches you the secondary outputs. S-390 teaches you the primary ones and is enough to keep you safe on the job and make good fire behaviour predictions. Having S-390 will set you up to build the learning outcomes from S-490.

• Who is this course designed for?

  This version of S-390 was redesigned for a broad range of professionals: Registered Forest Professionals, FireSmart coordinators, Indigenous fire stewards, municipal staff, and wildland fire practitioners. It’s for anyone needing to apply fire science to planning, operations, or communication. It is also for those who need to make quick decisions, create wildland fire response strategies and tactics with the ability to communicate them clearly and effectively.

• Can this be used for certifications?

  Yes. Under the BC Wildfire certification matrix, this course is required for many positions including, Single Resource Leader and higher. On prescribed fires, this course is required for every leadership position from Fire Effects Monitor to Holding Boss.

• Is the Instructor Qualified?

  Yes. Colleen meets the BC Wildfire instructor qualifications to teach this course and is a recognized instructor. She is a certified Fire Behaviour Analyst, Fire Effects Monitor, IC3, DIvision Supervisor, Firing Boss and Burn Boss.