Brad Armitage, B.Sc., Dipl. of Tech. (Forestry)

Brad Armitage has spent the past 15 years as a forest fire consultant to both federal and provincial agencies as well as private industry clients. Prior to consulting, Mr. Armitage worked for five years as a fire research technician with the Canadian Forest Service. Immediately following graduation with a B.Sc. degree in geography from the University of Victoria (1986), Mr. Armitage worked for three years in term employment and consulting with B.C. Forest Service Silviculture and Research Branches, and with Canadian Forest Service.

Mr. Armitage has received advanced training in fire behavior prediction, fire cause and origin investigations and fire behavior modeling.

He also is experienced in conducting field research programs in forestry, specializing in fire projects, and is familiar with a variety of scientific equipment and instrumentation.

Bruce D. Lawson, B.S.F., M. Sc., R.P.F.

Bruce Lawson retired from the Canadian Forest Service in 1996, after a 30-year career in forest fire science, heading the Pacific & Yukon Region's Fire Management Program since 1991. Mr. Lawson brings to the forestry consulting field in-depth knowledge and experience in the development and implementation of the Canadian Forest Fire Danger Rating System. As a founding member of the "CFS Fire Danger Group", Mr. Lawson was instrumental in the research and development of both the Canadian Fire Weather Index (FWI) System (1970), and the Fire Behavior Prediction (FBP) System (1992).

Mr. Lawson graduated from U.B.C. in 1967 and completed a Master's degree in Forest Fire Science from University of Montana in 1972. He has authored or co-authored approximately 35 publications and 50 reports on many aspects of fire behavior, fire danger rating and prescribed fire use. He is a B.C. Registered Professional Forester, a past chair of the Fire Management Subcommittee of the ABCPF Academic Standards Committee, a member of the Canadian Institute of Forestry, a past member of the Canadian Committee on Forest Fire Management, and past chair of the Northwest Fire Council. He has participated in and hosted international fire exchanges involving Canada, Australia (1988-89), U.S.A. (1980), and Russia (1993-94).

In addition to research on fuel moisture models, fire ignition probability models, spread rates in different fuels and topographic conditions, crown fire thresholds, and other aspects of fire behavior, Mr. Lawson has studied the use of infrared imaging for fire detection and mapping, smoke emissions and smoke management, wildland/urban interface fire issues, and fire cause investigation.

As a consulting forester with Ember Research Services Ltd. since 1996, Mr. Lawson has continued research and development of models, systems, and client-oriented services related to fire science and management. Recent projects include models to predict flaming and smoldering ignition probability in Alaska, Yukon, British Columbia and other Canadian forest fuel types, and prediction of forest floor moisture content in boreal and non-boreal forest fuel types from component values of the FWI System.

Current projects include development of fire management plans for B.C. Provincial Parks, Yukon community fire risk assessment and reduction strategies, and fire cause investigations.