TRU Wildfire
TRU Wildfire Centre for Wildfire Research, Education, Training and Innovation
With extreme fire behaviour and activity becoming more common, Thompson Rivers University (TRU) is addressing this new reality through a unique partnership with the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS).
Supported by the Province of BC, TRU Wildfire offers a solutions-focused and comprehensive approach to current and future wildfire challenges, bringing together and linking research, education, training and innovation under one umbrella.
TRU Wildfire operates the Centre for Wildfire Research, Education, Training and Innovation, a hub of activity that will grow and make advancements for generations to come.
Through new research and innovation, we will adapt and find solutions. Through education and training, we will support firefighters and communities.
TRU Wildfire is our commitment to a better future
Explore and learn more through the pages and videos on this website.
TRU leads the way
TRU is distinctly positioned to lead world-class wildfire research, education, training and innovation.
Expertise
TRU is home to the Institute for Wildfire Science, Adaptation and Resiliency, and is the only Canadian university to have two research chair positions solely dedicated to wildfire science. TRU is also home to researchers investigating wildfire topics such as climate change, human health, Indigenous knowledge and use of cultural burning, social impacts of disaster, species at risk, and AI.
Partnerships
In addition to the partnership with the BC Wildfire Service, TRU has established partnerships with knowledge holders, practitioners and policymakers in BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and the Northwest Territories. TRU is a member of the Research Universities Council of BC, the Interior Universities Research Coalition, Canada Wildfire, and locally has agreements with Tk’emlúps te Secwépemc and the City of Kamloops.
University features
TRU, a mid-sized research university that also provides non-credit training, has expertise and experience in flexible learning delivery, in-community training, and Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR).
Location
Kamloops, BC, the location of TRU’s main campus, is one of the busiest spots for wildfire response in the world. Kamloops is home to the Provincial Wildfire Coordination Centre for the BC Wildfire Service, the Provincial Airtanker Centre, regional offices of the First Nations Emergency Services Society of BC, and the Central Region offices of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness.
Thompson Rivers University campuses are on the traditional lands of the Tk'emlúps te Secwépemc (Kamloops campus) and the T’exelc (Williams Lake campus) within Secwepemcúl’ecw, the traditional and unceded territory of the Secwépemc. The region TRU serves also extends into the territories of the St’át’imc, Nlaka’pamux, Nuxalk, Tŝilhqot'in, Dakelh, and Syilx peoples.
