Nunavut
Nunavut sits almost entirely above the treeline and has no wildfire program, because it has essentially no wildfire. The territory's fire risk is structural, and its wildfire exposure is imported smoke.
- Fire season
- June to August, where any risk exists at all
- Dominant fuel
- Tundra: lichen, moss and low shrub. No forest.
- Fire agency
- GN Environment and Wildlife
Why this page is short
We include Nunavut for completeness, and we are not going to invent a risk profile it does not have. The territory lies almost entirely north of the treeline. There is no boreal forest to burn, no wildland-urban interface in the sense the rest of this site uses, and FireSmart Canada confirms there is no active FireSmart Neighbourhood Recognition Program in the territory. Buying an exterior sprinkler kit for a house in Iqaluit would be a waste of money and we will not pretend otherwise.
What does burn here
Tundra fires do occur — lichen, moss and low shrub can carry fire in a hot, dry, windy summer, particularly in the southern mainland areas near the treeline. These events are rare, generally remote from communities and small by southern standards. Climate warming is extending shrub cover northward, and researchers expect tundra fire frequency to increase over coming decades, so this may not remain a non-issue permanently. It is a non-issue now.
The real fire risk in Nunavut is structural
Nunavut has among the highest per-capita rates of residential structure fire in Canada, driven by overcrowded housing, aging building stock, heating systems under extreme load, and fire response capacity that is limited in smaller hamlets. This is a serious and well-documented problem, and it is a different problem from wildfire. Working smoke alarms on every level, a 10 lb ABC extinguisher in the kitchen and by the furnace, a practised escape plan and clear exits are the measures that save lives in Nunavut. That is what we would spend on.
Smoke does reach Nunavut
Smoke from boreal fires in the NWT, northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba reaches Nunavut communities during severe seasons, sometimes degrading air quality for days. Given housing density and the difficulty of sealing older buildings, a HEPA purifier in the sleeping area is worthwhile for households with children, elders or anyone with a respiratory condition. Order filters well ahead — resupply into Nunavut is by sealift or air, and nothing arrives quickly.
If you are travelling on the land
For hunters and travellers on the land in the southern mainland during a hot dry summer, ordinary fire discipline applies: fully extinguish camp fires, be careful with fuel and equipment, and report smoke to the hamlet office or GN Environment. Tundra fire is rare but it moves in wind and there is no suppression capacity to speak of outside communities.
Where to get help
Your hamlet office and the Government of Nunavut's Department of Environment are the relevant contacts. For structural fire safety, which is the actual priority here, your local fire department and the Office of the Fire Marshal are the right places to start. There is no FireSmart programming to enrol in, and we would rather tell you that plainly than send you looking for something that does not exist.