The Get FireSmart Podcast

Carrying the Fire: Indigenous Women Restoring the Land - Ep 3: Reconnection

Welcome back to Carrying the Fire: Indigenous Women Restoring the Land, a three-part Get FireSmart Podcast series about Indigenous women and their efforts to restore “good fire” to both land and community. For the third and final episode of the series, we listen to Samantha Draney, a proud member of the Skeetchestn Indian Band, as she speaks with host Jaci Gilbert of FNESS. Samantha’s story is one of reconnection: to land, to medicine, and to the powerful lineage of Indigenous women who have carried the fire before her. Wildfire seasons changed her work and her “why.” In burned areas, she found medicines like Arnica returning, setting the stage for a story about healing a relationship with fire, and helping a community do the same. It’s a story that shows us what it means to burn with purpose. Links Learn more about Cultural Burning and Prescribed Fire: https://prescribedfire.ca/ [https://prescribedfire.ca/] Learn more about FireSmart BC: firesmartbc.ca [https://firesmartbc.ca/] Watch FireSmart BC videos: https://www.youtube.com/@firesmartbc [https://www.youtube.com/@firesmartbc]  Learn more about FNESS: https://www.fness.bc.ca/ [https://www.fness.bc.ca/]

Carrying the Fire: Indigenous Women Restoring the Land - Ep 2: Restoration

Welcome back to Carrying the Fire: Indigenous Women Restoring the Land, a three-part Get FireSmart Podcast series about Indigenous women and their efforts to restore “good fire” to both land and community. In episode two of this series, we hear from Darlene Vegh, a fire historian, a mapper of memory, and a proud Gitanyow First Nation Elder. For over three decades, she has documented the places where good fire once lived and where it must return. For Darlene, cultural burning is a remedy, creating mosaics that look more like pre-industrial forests: healthier fuels, more food, more medicine, and more life. During her conversation with host Jaci Gilbert of FNESS, she discusses how she’s bringing youth onto the land to learn safety, history, and hope, demonstrating that good fire has immense benefits when used with care.  Links: Learn more about Cultural Burning and Prescribed Fire: https://prescribedfire.ca/ [https://prescribedfire.ca/] Learn more about FireSmart BC: firesmartbc.ca [https://firesmartbc.ca/] Watch FireSmart BC videos: https://www.youtube.com/@firesmartbc [https://www.youtube.com/@firesmartbc]  Learn more about FNESS: https://www.fness.bc.ca/ [https://www.fness.bc.ca/]

Carrying the Fire: Indigenous Women Restoring the Land - Ep 1: Reignition

Welcome to Carrying the Fire: Indigenous Women Restoring the Land, a three-part Get FireSmart Podcast series about Indigenous women and their efforts to restore “good fire” to both land and community.  In part one of this series, we meet Ashley O’Neil, an experienced firefighter, burn boss, and proud member of ʔaq̓am, a Ktunaxa Nation near Cranbrook, BC. In her conversation with host Jaci Gilbert of FNESS, she outlines how cultural burning knowledge was interrupted by law and policy, and how listening to Elders across Nations rebuilt a living practice. Ashley also reflects on the importance of trust between agencies and Nations, and how this trust could support a potential hands-on training program in which structural and wildland firefighters learn about the importance of prescribed fire and cultural burning together.  Links: Learn more about Cultural Burning and Prescribed Fire: https://prescribedfire.ca/ [https://prescribedfire.ca/] Learn more about FireSmart BC: firesmartbc.ca [https://firesmartbc.ca/] Watch FireSmart BC videos: https://www.youtube.com/@firesmartbc [https://www.youtube.com/@firesmartbc]

46: “What it Takes to Be FireSmart” Guest: David McIlwraith

In this episode of the Get FireSmart Podcast, guest host Dan Stevens, FireSmart Education and Outreach Coordinator at FNESS, sits down with David McIlwraith, FireSmart Coordinator for the Sunshine Coast Regional District, to explore what it really takes to build a wildfire-resilient community. Drawing from real-world examples and firsthand field experience, David shares some valuable lessons on the power of grassroots movements, community engagement, and adaptive problem-solving. From local organization collaborations to regional partnerships, this conversation covers what’s worked well, what’s been challenging, and why buy-in from both residents and decision-makers is essential for long-term success. Listen to hear some actionable insights and get inspired to make your community FireSmart, one step at a time. Learn more about FireSmart BC: firesmartbc.ca [https://firesmartbc.ca/] Watch FireSmart BC videos: https://www.youtube.com/@firesmartbc [https://www.youtube.com/@firesmartbc ]

45: “Climate Change & Wildfire: A New Reality” Guest: Dr. Kira Hoffman

In this episode of the Get FireSmart Podcast, we’re joined by Dr. Kira Hoffman, Fire Ecologist and Researcher at the University of British Columbia, to explore what it means to live with fire in a changing climate. Hosted by FNESS FireSmart Researcher, Helena Marken, this conversation dives into the science of fire-adapted landscapes, the growing role of Indigenous-led fire stewardship, and the evolving impact of climate change on wildfire behaviour in Canada. Dr. Hoffman shares her passion for prescribed fire, her insights from community-based projects, and reflects on receiving the Lynn Orstad Award. Listen to hear how traditional knowledge and modern science are working together to build more resilient communities. Learn more about FireSmart BC: firesmartbc.ca [https://firesmartbc.ca/] Watch FireSmart BC videos: https://vimeo.com/firesmartbc [https://vimeo.com/firesmartbc]