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Born: Calgary, Alberta.
Education:
1988 B.Sc. University of Victoria (Geography)
1994 M.Sc. University of Alberta.
Professional Experience:
I have been involved with 'fire' in some capacity since 1984 when I began my
career as a fire fighter on the University of Calgary's student fire crew. During
that summer I was introduced to the Provincial 'Helitack' (now called Rappatack)
program and subsequently worked with them for the next 7 fire seasons, spending
the last 3 as a crew leader (spotter). During this time I initial attacked many
fires and was lucky enough to go to Manitoba in 1989 during their big fire season.
It was getting tougher and tougher to meet the fitness standards each year and
therefore I had to look into another way of remaining involved in the fire business.
During these years I completed my undergraduate studies at the University of
Victoria majoring in Physical Geography. A few years later, I wrote a thesis
proposal and submitted it to four western Canadian Universities and found interest
from the University of Alberta in Edmonton. My thesis was titled 'Climate change
and fire danger' and involved the initialisation of a physical evaporation model
to a forest environment and the subsequent running of various climate change
scenarios through the model in an attempt to estimate future fire danger conditions.
During Graduate studies I worked a summer at the Northern Forestry Centre (NoFC-CFS)
in Edmonton for Kelvin Hirsch. I assisted in compiling a wildland/urban interface
bibliography as well as working on an initial attack effectiveness study.
Following the completion of my M.Sc., I began volunteering at NoFC and received
a minor contract. I then moved to Penticton, BC, where I had contract work with
the BCFS on a grass-curing project and with BC Parks developing a Fire Management
Plan for Skagit Valley Provincial Park. I next worked on a Forest Renewal BC
(FRBC) project at the Pacific Forestry Centre (CFS) in Victoria with their small
Fire Research group. This particular project was to develop a stand and landscape
scale model to assist in re-introducing fire in southeastern areas of BC. Effective
initial attack in the region has led to an 'ingrowth' of Douglas-fir over the
last 80 years, a change in forest cover and consequently an increase in the
fire hazard. It was on completion of this two-year project that an opportunity
arose in New Zealand with the Forest Research Institute (NZFRI) in their fire
research program. I worked there for 2.5 years living in Rotorua and Christchurch
during that time. I was involved in a grass curing study, the development of
a wildfire threat rating system and the development of fire behaviour models
in tussock, crop stubble and scrub fuels. New Zealand was an incredible experience
for my family and for my work and has led to an increased interest in rugby!
It was a very difficult decision to leave, but the opportunity to join a new
research group in my home province was a very powerful force that in the end
I could not pass up!
E-mail: Greg Baxter
Phone: (780)868-6342
Costs and nenefits of seven post-harvest debris treatments in Alberta forests 3/10/2010
Photo Reference Guide For Estimating Grass Fuel Loads in Alberta 12/16/2009
Research update - Determining the key characteristics of a survival zone 12/2/2009
Less-flammable Species Field Planting at Chisholm, Albeerta 2008 ~ 2009 Update 9/25/2009
Evaluating the fire ignition potential of an Exhaust Insulator designed for all terrain vehicles 12/3/2008
Advantage Report - Effectiveness of mowing grass to reduce potential fire behaviour in corridors 6/16/2008
Assessing the Effectiveness of Prescribed Fire in Creating Bison Pasture in Heart Lake, Alberta 3/3/2008
Fast-Attack Kit for data collection on fires along linear corridors 10/11/2007
Advantage Report - Grass fuel loads on linear disturbances in Alberta 1/9/2007
Results of Experimental Burns on Grass Plots with Mowing Treatments, Slave Lake, Alberta 5/31/2006
Species Flammability and Resistance Research - Project Update 10/14/2005
Agenda, Speaker and Powerpoint presentations for download 3/18/2005
Species selected for ignition testing and fire behaviour for use along right of ways - Project Page 3/7/2005
Advantage Report - Management of harvesting debris in northern Alberta 10/15/2004
Advantage Report - Management of harvesting debris in west-central Alberta 8/3/2004
Linear Disturbances at the 2004 Freeman River Fire 7/5/2004
Timberjack Slash Bundling System - the Timberjack 1490D Energy Wood Harvester 5/6/2004
Management of harvesting debris in east-central Alberta 3/8/2004
Evaluating the fire ignition potential of all terrain vehicles in Alberta forests 3/2/2004
Pile burning in the NWT 7/23/2003
ATV Exhaust System Surface Temperatures 7/18/2003
Linear Disturbance Project Page 3/14/2003
Analysis of Occurrence and Cause of Fire in Slash Fuels in Alberta for the Period 1961 - 2000 6/24/2002
Hutton Creek (Peace River Area) Prescribed Burn 2002 6/21/2002
Researcher - Greg Baxter 9/17/2001
Top Piles project main page 6/22/2001