Canada’s Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory Report 2024: annex 2.10

A2.10 Estimation Methodologies for Fires

Prescribed Burning

Description

Prescribed Burning includes emissions from controlled fires used for land management treatments. Prescribed burning is used to reduce logging residues, manage forest production, control insects and minimize potential for destructive wildfires. This treatment is carried out by the logging industry and forestry officials to manage Crown lands. This sector excludes the burning of agricultural residues.

General Inventory Method

Pollutant(s) estimated:

TPM, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, SO_x, NO_x, VOCs, CO, NH_3, dioxins/furans, B(a)p, B(b)f, B(k)f, I(cd)p

Total annual mass of forest debris burned by fire and by province and territory is multiplied by pollutant-specific emission factors.

Activity Data

The total number of hectares burned in each province and territory per year (CIFFC, 2022; PCA, 2022; NFD, 2016) is multiplied by a conversion factor for each province and territory (EC, 1992) to convert the area burned into the mass of forest debris burned. Pollutant and province-specific emission factors are then applied to the mass of forest debris to determine the release of pollutants from the burn.

Emission Factors (EF)

TPM, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, SO_x, NO_x, VOCs, CO, NH₃:

All provinces/territories (except British Columbia): U.S. EPA (1995)

British Columbia: GVRD and FVRD (2003), BCMWLAP (2004)

Dioxins/furans, B(b)f, B(k)f: Lemieux et al. (2004), B(a)p, I(cd)p: Johnson et al. (1992)

Structural Fires

Description

Structural Fires cover emissions from vehicle fires (such as fires from cars, trains and airplanes) and buildings fires. Structural fires emit large quantities of pollutants due to rapid but incomplete combustion. This sector includes only emissions estimated in-house.

General Inventory Method

Pollutant(s) estimated:

TPM, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO_x, VOCs, CO, NH₃

Tonnes of structures burned per year, by province and territory, are multiplied by pollutant-specific emission factors.

Activity Data

The Secretary/Treasurer of the Council of Canadian Fire Marshals and Fire Commissioners (CCMFC) and the following members of the CCMFC are contacted annually to obtain the number of annual structural fires in their jurisdictions:

• Government of Nunavut
• Fire and Emergency Services, Newfoundland and Labrador
• Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management (Ontario)
• Office of the Fire Commissioner (Manitoba)
• Emergency Management and Fire Safety Branch (Saskatchewan)
• Canadian Forces Fire Marshal
• Office of Public Safety (Prince Edward Island)
• Yukon Government
• Department of Labour and Advanced Education (Nova Scotia)
• Department of Municipal and Community Affairs (Government of the Northwest Territories)
• Department of Public Safety (New Brunswick)
• Office of the Fire Commissioner (Alberta)
• Emergency Management British Columbia
• Quebec Ministère de la Sécurité publique

Number of structure fires in each province and territory is multiplied by a loading factor to convert the number of fires into tonnes of structure burned (EIIP, 2001).
Loading factor = 1.04 t of structure burned/fire
Where activity data is unavailable, emission estimates for are calculated using linear interpolation/extrapolation.

Emission Factors (EF)

TPM, PM₁₀, PM_2.5, NO_x, VOCs, CO: GVRD and FVRD (2003)

NH₃: Battye et al. (1994)

References, Annex 2.10, Estimation methodologies for Fires by sector

Battye R, Battye W, Overcash C, Fudge S. 1994. Development and selection of ammonia emission factors. Report No. EPA/600/R-94/190. Contract No. 68-D3-0034. Durham (NC): EC/R Incorporated. Prepared for U.S. EPA.

[BCMWLAP] British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection. 2004. 2000 British Columbia emissions inventory of criteria air contaminants: Methods and calculations (PDF, 1.2 MB). Victoria (BC): British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Air Protection Water, Air and Climate Change Branch.

[CIFFC] Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. 2023. Canada Report 2022 (PDF, 3.4 MB).

[EC] Environment Canada. 1992. Canada's greenhouse gas emissions: Estimates for 1990. Report No. EPS 5/AP/4. Ottawa (ON): Environment Canada.

[EIIP] Emission Inventory Improvement Program. 2001. EIIP Volume 3: Area Sources Preferred and Alternative Methods (PDF, 22.6 MB).Report No. EPA 454/R-97-004C. Research Triangle Park (NC): Eastern Reseach Group, Inc. Prepared for EIIP and U.S. EPA.

[GVRD] Greater Vancouver Regional District, [FVRD] Fraser Valley Regional District. 2003. 2000 emission inventory for the Canadian portion of the Lower Fraser Valley airshed – detailed listing of results and methodology. Burnaby (BC): Greater Vancouver Regional District.

Johnson ND, Scholtz MT, Cassidy V, Davidson K, Ord D. 1992. MOE toxic chemical emission inventory for Ontario and Eastern North America (PDF, 14.5 MB). Report No. P92-T61- 5429/OG. Mississauga (ON): Ortech International. Prepared for Ontario Ministry of the Environment.

Lemieux PM, Lutes CC, Santoianni DA. 2004. Emissions of organic air toxics from open burning: a comprehensive review. Prog Energy Combust Sci, 30(1):1-32.

[NFD] National Forestry Database. 2016. Table 6.1. Area of site preparation by jurisdiction, tenure and treatment, 1990-1998.

[PCA] Parks Canada Agency. 2023. Prescribed fires 1990 to 2022. Unpublished data. Parks Canada Agency.

[U.S. EPA] United States Environmental Protection Agency. 1995. Compilation of Air Pollutant Emission factors, Volume I: Stationary Point and Area Sources, 5th Edition. Research Triangle Park (NC): Office of Air Quality Planning and Standards.