A Calgary-based technology company has launched a groundbreaking app that helps Canadian homeowners assess their property's wildfire risk using data similar to what insurance companies rely on for premium calculations.
The WildfireScore Consumer App, developed by AISIX Solutions, provides users with a risk rating on a scale of one to five, offering insights into how fires can start and spread near properties across the country.
"We wanted to empower Canadians to be able to get insights on their wildfire risk," said Gio Roberti, CEO of AISIX Solutions. "We wanted to offer something also for individuals so that everybody can do something about their fire risk."
The app considers multiple variables including historical fire activity, the likelihood of human-caused versus natural fires such as lightning strikes, and environmental factors that determine how rapidly wildfires spread. These factors include topographical features like hills and slopes, as well as weather conditions including wind patterns that can accelerate fire spread.
For homeowners seeking more detailed analysis, the app offers a $20 probability report that forecasts risk changes over a 30-year period.
"We decided to do 30 years because it's sort of the average duration of a mortgage in Canada," Roberti explained. "So that a homeowner can understand what is the probability of being impacted by a wildfire during the duration of their mortgage."
The technology arrives as Canadian communities face increasingly severe fire seasons. According to Natural Resources Canada data, British Columbia, Manitoba, Ontario, Saskatchewan, and Alberta all experienced above-average burned areas last year compared to the previous decade's average.
Nationally, authorities reported 5,508 fires as of November, representing 161 more incidents than the 10-year average.
Roberti noted that most users are checking properties in rural northern communities where wildfire probability is naturally higher. "Lots of people are using it," he said. "I will say many people have been looking at their cabins in the woods — because of course, it's where the fire probability is higher."
The company plans to expand the app's capabilities with future updates including climate change projections showing different risk scenarios and an early warning system to alert residents of elevated fire probabilities.
Prior to this launch, no publicly available programs existed in Canada to determine wildfire likelihood on this comprehensive scale, making the app a first-of-its-kind resource for Canadian property owners.
This story is based on reporting by Global Calgary.