2014 FireWork Performance Analysis

The FireWork-GEM-MACH air quality forecast system with near-real-time wildfire emissions was run during the 2014 wildfire season by Environment Canada in experimental operational mode. For the first time, FireWork forecasts were available to operational forecasters and external partners.

The system is provided with near-real-time information about fire locations and characteristics for both the USA and Canada. Once processed, wildfire emissions from individual sources are injected into elevated model layers based on plume-rise calculations, after which transport and chemistry calculations are performed. A detailed 2014 FireWork performance analysis was done for the entire summer period, with a focus on periods and regions with intense fire activity. A number of performance metrics will be presented, including subjective analysis from operational forecasters and external users. We will also present ongoing and future work planned for the FireWork-GEM-MACH system.