UNBC Researcher driving safer wildfire evacuations

“When an evacuation order is issued, the decisions people make behind the wheel can have a significant impact on how quickly and safely a community can respond,” said Noory.

The simulator allows participants to drive the same route under two different conditions. First, drivers experience a typical day on the highway. They then navigate the same route during a simulated wildfire evacuation, complete with smoke, reduced visibility and other conditions designed to mirror a real emergency.

Unlike many traffic models that rely on generic assumptions, Noory’s research is focused on capturing real driving behaviour in Northern British Columbia.

“We didn’t want to stick to those default factors. We want to make sure we are following the real behaviours, real factors that we have in Northern British Columbia, and through that we are trying to make sure we have better plans for making our community more safe,” said Noory.

To create a realistic experience, the simulator incorporates local landmarks, buildings and road features familiar to drivers in the region. Researchers also studied footage from actual wildfire events to recreate conditions such as smoke, ash and changing visibility levels that motorists may encounter during an evacuation.

The project combines transportation engineering, environmental science and emergency planning, reflecting the interdisciplinary approach that attracted Noory to UNBC after working in transportation and civil engineering in Iran.

His goal is to ensure that evacuation models reflect the realities of northern communities rather than relying on assumptions developed elsewhere.

Researchers will collect data on factors such as vehicle speed, acceleration and deceleration while participants navigate the simulated route. That information will then be compared with traffic measurements gathered on the real Highway 97 North corridor.

By comparing simulator results with actual traffic data, the research team hopes to confirm the simulator accurately reflects real-world driving behaviour. Once validated, the information can be used to calibrate sophisticated traffic models that predict how vehicles move through road networks during emergency situations.

Those models can help identify potential bottlenecks, estimate evacuation times and provide planners with a better understanding of how transportation networks perform under pressure.

The findings could have benefits well beyond Prince George.

While the current research focuses on a local section of highway, Noory says the framework could be adapted for use in other northern and wildfire-prone communities across Canada. As wildfire seasons become increasingly challenging, communities are looking for new tools to improve preparedness and strengthen emergency response plans.

The project has also attracted local support. Noory emphasized that community members who volunteer for the study are playing an important role in helping researchers build a reliable database of driver behaviour.

The research team hopes a broad range of participants will take part, allowing them to capture data from drivers with varying ages and levels of experience.

Once the data has been analyzed, the information will be shared with local officials and emergency planners.

“We can actually send the results and details of the research to the local authorities. They can select which part of the research is usable to improve their plans,” said Noory.

For Noory, the project represents more than an academic exercise. It is an opportunity to use research and innovation to address a real-world challenge facing Northern British Columbia.

He believes strong partnerships between researchers, local governments and community members can help create safer and more effective emergency responses in the future.

The project has already resulted in a Canadian copyright certificate protecting the intellectual property behind UNBCSIM, but Noory says the true value of the work lies in its potential to help communities prepare for the unexpected.

As volunteers begin stepping behind the wheel of the simulator, researchers hope the information gathered today will ultimately help emergency planners make better decisions tomorrow, improving evacuation strategies and helping keep residents safe when wildfires threaten their communities.

by Nick Dube

UNBC Researcher driving safer wildfire evacuations

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