OPERATIONS: UNDERSTANDING CIRCUMPOLAR WILDLAND FIRE CAPABILITIES
BY TROY BOUFFARD AND EDWARD SOTO
The Arctic is undergoing profound environmental shifts, marked by unprecedented warming and ecosystem changes. A critical consequence of this transformation is the rise of extreme wildland fire events across all eight Arctic states, especially the United States (Alaska), Canada, and Russia. These fires represent a shared northern challenge, transcending borders and impacting everything from carbon release and permafrost degradation to air quality and community safety. While bilateral cooperation on firefighting resources exists, notably between Canada and the United States, a comprehensive, circumpolar platform for collaboration on wildland fire preparedness, mitigation, and response has yet to develop. This gap highlights the need and opportunity for a shared understanding of how each Arctic nation manages wildland fire events.
The Arctic Council Emergency Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (EPPR) Working Group publication, Circumpolar Arctic Wildland Fire Operational Baseline Report, aims to fill this research gap by establishing a foundational understanding of the existing operational capabilities and primary information sources for wildland fire response within each Arctic state.
The report’s value lies in presenting each nation’s operational picture, identifying potential areas for enhanced collaboration, and providing policymakers, operational decision makers, and researchers with the necessary baseline knowledge to engage in further studies and activities. By surveying existing governance operational structures, response systems, information resources, and logistical support mechanisms, the report serves as an important information source toward developing more integrated and effective circumpolar wildland fire management strategies in a rapidly changing Arctic.
OPERATIONAL LANDSCAPES
The report details the diverse approaches each Arctic nations takes toward wildland fire management, reflecting differences in operational governance, geography, and historical fire regimes, which can vary significantly depending on traditional management approaches and risk levels.
CANADA
Wildland fire management primarily falls under provincial and territorial jurisdiction, with the federal government responsible for Parks Canada and military lands. The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) plays a crucial coordinating role, facilitating resource sharing (personnel, equipment, aircraft) and information exchange both domestically and internationally, particularly with the United States through compact agreements.
Canada uses the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System for predictive services and situational awareness, incorporating data from the Meteorological Services of Canada and the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System. The Canadian Armed Forces may provide support to civil authorities when requested and civilian resources are overwhelmed. Response uses a standardized incident command system, adapted for Canadian use, ensuring interoperability. Resource warehousing is also decentralized at the provincial / territorial level.
THE KINGDOM OF DENMARK (INCLUDING GREENLAND)
Denmark presents a unique structure where both civil and military emergency response capabilities reside under the Ministry of Defence, primarily executed by the Danish Emergency Response Agency (DEMA). Response follows the Emergency Preparedness Act and the National Crisis Management System, adhering to a sectoral principle for assigning responsibilities.
Given Greenland’s vast ice cover and Denmark’s relatively low wildland fire frequency, the focus is largely on an all-hazards approach with a structural fire emphasis. The Danish Meteorological Institute provides weather data, contributing to fire danger indices, often focused on agricultural settings. Response typically starts at the municipal level, escalating to DEMA if needed. Specific wildland fire equipment exists but is integrated within the broader rescue service resources.
FINLAND
The Ministry of the Interior, through its rescue services and regional rescue departments (managed by wellbeing services counties), leads wildland fire response as part of an allhazards mandate under the Rescue Act. The Finnish Defence Forces provide assistance (equipment, personnel, expertise) when requested by civil authorities. The Finnish Meteorological Institute provides essential weather and predictive services, including a forest fire index, which can trigger aerial surveillance flights. Due to intensive forest management, large wildland fires are relatively rare. Resource coordination occurs between wellbeing services counties, with the ministry coordinating international aid. Finland uses the Virve communication network, interoperable with Nordic counterparts via TETRA., the public safety telecommunications network. Training is conducted via the Emergency Services Academy Finland, emphasizing all-hazards response.
ICELAND
Civil authorities, specifically the Department of Civil Protection and Emergency Management under the National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police within the Ministry of Justice, have the sole lead for emergency response. There is no military, though the Icelandic Coast Guard assists in maritime areas and can be involved in suppressing remote wildland fires. The Civil Protection Act provides the framework for an all-hazards response structure from national to municipal levels. Wildland fires have been historically rare due to fuel types, though this may change with climate warming. Consequently, specific wildland fire information sources and specialized training are limited.
The Icelandic Meteorological Office provides general weather forecasting but focuses on more prevalent hazards such as volcanoes and avalanches. Response follows established civil protection plans, resourced locally first, with escalation pathways nationally and through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.
NORWAY
Responsibility is shared between the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (primary authority via the Directorate for Civil Protection – DSB) and the Ministry of Defence. The DSB provides administrative oversight, while operational response resides with municipal fire and rescue services. The Norwegian Civil Defence and the Armed Forces / Home Guard can provide reinforcement and disaster assistance when needed, forming the total defence concept. Norway uses a unified management system, adapted from the incident command system, but command typically remains at the municipal level. The Norwegian Meteorological Institute collaborates with DSB, utilizing an adapted Canadian Fire Weather Index for risk assessment specific to Norwegian conditions. Resources are primarily municipal, with some national assets such as DSB-administered helicopters available during fire season or high danger periods. Norway also uses European resources such as the Copernicus Emergency Management Service (CEMS) and the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC).
THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
The Federal Forestry Agency (FFA), under the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, is the lead agency for wildland fire protection and suppression, operating through territorial authorities. The Forest Code and federal law On Fire Safety define responsibilities, assigning coordination functions to the FFA, which establishes federal and regional headquarters. The Ministry of Emergency Situations, known as EMERCOM, handles fires in populated areas and provides support, while the Ministry of Defense’s Forestry Department manages fires on defense lands. Authority is delegated to the subjects (regions) of the Russian Federation, which develop annual consolidated fire suppression plans detailing resources (personnel, machinery, equipment) from various state, municipal, and other involved entities. The FFA oversees information reliability and coordinates interregional maneuvering of resources. The Russian government’s Aerial Forest Protection Service (Avialesookhrana) provides specialized aviation resources, including aircraft and parachute firefighters.
SWEDEN
The Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), under the Ministry of Defence, holds responsibility for civil protection, public safety, and emergency management, including coordinating and supporting roles in large wildland fires. Operational response is led by municipal fire and rescue departments. Sweden employs a total-defence concept incorporating emergency preparedness and civil defense, involving collaboration among government agencies, municipalities, regions, industry, and NGOs. The Swedish Meteorological and Hydrological Institute provides fire risk assessments using the Canadian Fire Weather Index during the fire season. Response is resourced locally / regionally, with cross-border municipal agreements and support from MSB, which maintains equipment depots and coordinates national / international aviation assets, including rescEU resources hosted in Sweden. If resources become scarce, MSB can prioritize allocation.
THE UNITED STATES
Wildland fire response is characterized by extensive interagency cooperation, coordinated nationally by the National Interagency Fire Center (NIFC). NIFC integrates federal agencies within the departments of agriculture and interior, state forestry agencies, and others under common incident command procedures and safety guidelines. The Department of Defense provides support to civil authorities upon request from NIFC, typically as a surge capability. Information sources are coordinated, with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration / National Weather Service providing key weather and predictive services. Firefighter qualifications and operational standards are standardized nationally through the National Wildfire Coordinating Group. Resources (personnel, aviation, equipment, supplies) are managed through interconnected interagency systems – Incident Qualifications and Certification System (IQCS), Interagency Resource Ordering Capability (IROC), National Fire Equipment System (NFES) caches –allowing for efficient mobilization from local to national levels. Unmanned aerial vehicles are increasingly integrated into operations.
CROSS-BORDER COOPERATION: NORDRED, RESCEU AND THE NORDIC REGION
Beyond national capacities, regional cooperation mechanisms significantly enhance response capabilities, particularly in the Nordic region. Nordred facilitates rescue collaboration (information sharing, operations) among Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden, supported by agreements at both national and cross-border municipal levels. Additionally, these nations, along with other European countries, participate in the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and its rescEU component, which provides a reserve of resources, including firefighting aircraft, coordinated through the Emergency Response Coordination Centre for international assistance. These frameworks are integral to Nordic preparedness and response culture.
This baseline report illuminates the diverse, yet often complementary approaches Arctic nations employ to manage wildland fires. While significant operational collaboration already exists within subregions such as North America and the Nordic countries, facilitated by shared systems (such as variations of the incident command system), common standards, and established agreements (such as forest fire compacts and Nordred), the frameworks and capabilities are not yet fully interoperable across the entire circumpolar Arctic.
The inventory reveals each Arctic state’s operational governance structures, key information sources (weather, predictive services, geospatial data), response protocols, and resource management systems. This foundational knowledge is crucial for identifying commonalities that can be leveraged for broader cooperation and gaps that require attention and development. As the Arctic continues to warm and wildland fire regimes intensify, understanding these national operational baselines is paramount.
