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.

After eight years of delivering this course with BC Wildfire Service, I’ve redesigned S-390 to better support the diverse realities of today’s fire practitioners, from wildfire suppression to controlled fire and FireSmart initiatives. This updated version bridges the gap between theory and practice, helping you build confidence in using the Red Book, writing burn prescriptions, and applying fire behaviour principles in real-world scenarios.

This is fire behaviour for professionals, taught by someone who works in fire.

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. Minimum of 14 students up to a maximum of 20. This course comes with a Red Book and Student Workbook.