Canadians’ Thoughts on Wildfire Prevention and Response
September 23, 2026
A national survey found that the vast majority of Canadians (93%) are concerned about the risk of wildfire, and they view Indigenous fire stewardship as important to addressing wildfire and improving community safety.
The poll, conducted by Pollara Strategic Insights for the Indigenous Leadership Initiative, surveyed 2,250 Canadians from August 21 to 31, 2026.
Indigenous fire stewardship encompasses all activities Indigenous Peoples undertake related to fire that assert their sovereignty and inherent rights. It includes reducing wildfire risk, conducting cultural burns, responding to wildfires, supporting evacuations, and helping communities recover.
As the survey indicates, Indigenous fire stewardship helps make all Canadian communities more resilient to wildfire. Here are some of the key findings:
90% support government investment in year-round work to reduce wildfire risk rather than mainly responding on a seasonal basis.
Half of Canadians (49%) had never heard of Indigenous fire stewardship, but once it was described, 84% said it is important for Canada and 83% support a larger role for it in how the country approaches wildfire
82% support federal funding for Indigenous fire stewardship, and 87% support investing in Fire Guardians who help support wildfire prevention, response, evacuation, and recovery.
76% support First Nations cultural burning and 70% favour federal investment in cultural burns.
90% agree local knowledge of the land improves wildfire response and 83% agree Canada should make full use of trained local and Indigenous crews before bringing in international ones.
The survey shows that Canadians resoundingly support expanding and investing in Indigenous fire stewardship. The Indigenous Leadership Initiative released a report called, Indigenous Fire Stewardship: The State of Play, 2026 - Canada that identifies pathways for enabling Indigenous-led solutions to grow and flourish.
