Indigenous communities face higher death rates from fires and lack of data leaves them vulnerable

A National Research Council of Canada (NRCC) report confirms that Indigenous communities experience house fire death rates about five times higher than non-Indigenous communities. Commissioned by the National Indigenous Fire Safety Council (NIFSC), the report analyzed fire data from 2005 to 2021 to highlight fire risks and data gaps in Indigenous areas. Arnold Lazare, NIFSC Interim CEO, stressed the findings validate decades of Indigenous experiences often dismissed by others.

One major issue is inconsistent fire data reporting due to varied jurisdictional rules. The federal government stopped collecting fire data in First Nations communities in 2010 but resumed in 2023 to improve tracking and prevention efforts. Stats Canada reports Inuit face 17 times higher fire death risks, First Nations five times, and Métis twice compared to non-Indigenous people.

Michelle Vandevord, a Cree firefighter and emergency director, noted many Indigenous communities lack on-reserve fire services, relying on external help. She urges better use of existing data to secure funding, though volunteer fire chiefs often lack time for proposal writing. Lazare emphasizes funding must be tailored to each community’s needs and encourages use of the NIFSC’s National Incident Reporting System.

The NIFSC offers fire safety support and plans to work with the Assembly of First Nations to strengthen fire prevention strategies across Indigenous communities.