Award-winning author John Vaillant is set to provide the opening keynote at the 6th annual Canadian Wildfire Conference set for October 1 – 2, 2025, at the KF Centre for Excellence in Kelowna, B.C. This unique conference is designed to bring together all stakeholders of wildfire suppression, including air operators, fire departments, technology and service suppliers, and government agencies.

Vaillant’s 2023 book Fire Weather, The Making of a Beast, details the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfires from the front lines and tackles the impact of climate change on the sector. In Canada, Fire Weather won the Shaughnessy-Cohen Prize for Political Writing, the Dafoe Book Prize, the Hubert Evans Prize for Non-Fiction, and the Lane Anderson Award for Science Writing. Internationally, Fire Weather won Britain’s Baillie Gifford Prize and Italy’s Demetra Award for Environmental Literature. It was also a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize and was named one of the 10 best books of 2023 by The New York Times.

In addition to Vaillant, the conference will provide insight on advancements in wildfire suppression from a range of sector leaders, such as:

• Jean Strong, Digital Communications Officer, British Columbia Wildfire Service
• Ben Jamieson, RPFT, Provincial Wildfire Operations Coordinator, Forest Operations Branch, Forestry Division, Alberta Forestry & Parks
• Peter Murray, Air Attack Officer and FBAN, New Brunswick Wildfire Management
• J.J. Lum, Aviation Specialist, British Columbia Wildfire Service
• Robert Gallagher, CEO, Coldstream Helicopters
• Sean Rickards, Director of Operations, Yellowhead Helicopters
• Travis Mizera, General Manager, Airborne Energy Solutions
• Shane Palmer, Director of Operations, VIH Helicopters
• Wayne Coulson, CEO, Coulson Aviation
• Mike Larsson, Fire Chief, Penticton
• Larry Watkinson, Deputy Fire Chief, Kelowna
• Blaine Wiggins, Chief Operating Officer, National Indigenous Fire Safety Council
• Steve Farina, Firefighter, Mental Health Advocate, former Executive Vice President of the BC Professional Fire Fighters’ Association
• Dennis Craig, Assistant Fire Chief of Mitigation & Prevention, City of Kelowna
• Colleen Ross, AFE Wildland Fire Ecologist
• Mike Frombach, National Account Manager, Advance Engineered Products

In addition to dozens of sector-leading exhibitors, the newly expanded two-day show will also feature a static display of aircraft and land vehicles on the KF Centre ramp. Day one of the conference includes an evening reception at the Four Points Sheraton hotel, sponsored by Rosenbauer America, open to all attendees and exhibitors.