BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES Wildfire Prevention January 2008 2007-0022 2100, 350 – 7th Ave. S.W. 403, 235 Water Street Calgary, Alberta St. John’s, Newfoundland Canada T2P 3N9 Canada A1C 1B6 Tel (403) 267-1100 Tel (709) 724-4200 Fax (403) 261-4622 Fax (709) 724-4225 Email: [email protected] Website: www.capp.ca The Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) represents 140 companies that explore for, develop and produce natural gas, natural gas liquids, crude oil, oil sands, and elemental sulphur throughout Canada. CAPP member companies produce more than 97 per cent of Canada’s natural gas and crude oil. CAPP also has 125 associate members that provide a wide range of services that support the upstream crude oil and natural gas industry. Together, these members and associate members are an important part of a $65-billion-a-year national industry that affects the livelihoods of more than half a million Canadians. CAPP engaged QSI Quality Service Investigations Inc. (QSI) to develop Best Management Practices for Wildfire Prevention for the upstream oil and gas industry. QSI assembled a team of experts with numerous years of experience and training in wildland fire management. The Team members are: Bill Bereska, Dennis Quintilio, Murray Heinrich and Kelly O’Shea. Throughout the development of this document, QSI worked with members of the Industrial Wildfire Prevention Working Group who reviewed the document and provided comments and suggestions. CAPP wishes to acknowledge the interest and support from these members and from other stakeholders whose joint efforts have helped make this a more useful document for all. Review by December 2012 Disclaimer This publication was prepared for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP) by QSI Quality Service Investigations Inc. (QSI). While it is believed that the information contained herein is reliable under the conditions and subject to the limitations set out, CAPP and QSI do not guarantee its accuracy. The use of this report or any information contained will be at the user’s sole risk, regardless of any fault or negligence of QSI, CAPP, or its co- funders. 2100, 350 – 7th Ave. S.W. 403, 235 Water Street Calgary, Alberta St. John’s, Newfoundland Canada T2P 3N9 Canada A1C 1B6 Tel (403) 267-1100 Tel (709) 724-4200 Fax (403) 261-4622 Fax (709) 724-4225 Email: [email protected] Website: www.capp.ca Contents Project Scope .......................................................................................................................1 Overview..................................................................................................................1 1 Introduction..............................................................................................................3 1.1 Context.........................................................................................................3 1.2 Case Studies of Selected Industry-Related Fires .........................................3 1.3 Forest Fire Prevention Overview for the Oil and Gas Industry...................9 1.4 Historical Industry-Related Fires in Alberta..............................................11 1.4.1 Historical Oil and Gas Industry Wildfires .....................................12 1.4.2 Historical Forest Industry Wildfires ..............................................14 1.4.3 Historical Railroad Wildfires.........................................................15 1.4.4 Historical Power Line Wildfires ....................................................16 1.5 Timing of Industry Related Wildfires........................................................17 2 Regulatory Aspects................................................................................................18 2.1 Legislation, Codes, Directives, Guidelines And Agreements....................18 2.1.1 Forest and Prairie Protection Act and Regulations........................18 2.1.2 Occupational Health and Safety Code 2006 ..................................19 2.1.3 EUB Directive 060 Upstream Petroleum Industry Flaring, Incinerating, and Venting....................................................................................20 2.1.4 EUB Directive 071 Emergency Preparedness and Response Requirements for the Upstream Petroleum Industry.............................................20 2.1.5 Alberta Building Code ...................................................................21 2.1.6 Alberta Fire Code...........................................................................21 2.1.7 Municipal Government Act ...........................................................21 2.1.8 Other Acts and Regulations ...........................................................21 2.1.9 Fire Control Plans and Agreements ...............................................22 2.1.10 Guidelines and Directives..............................................................22 3 Integrated Land Management ................................................................................23 4 Seasonal and Daily Fire Danger ............................................................................24 5 Emergency Response Planning..............................................................................26 5.1 Industrial Wildfire Control and Prevention Plan (IWCPP) .......................27 5.2 Incident Command System........................................................................28 5.3 Personnel Safety.........................................................................................28 5.4 Training......................................................................................................28 5.5 Municipal Emergency Plan........................................................................29 5.6 Infrastructure Protection............................................................................29 5.7 Resources ...................................................................................................29 6 Communications ....................................................................................................30 January 2008 Best Management Practices for Wild Fire Prevention i 6.1 Internal Communications...........................................................................30 6.2 External Communications..........................................................................30 6.3 Delivery and Format ..................................................................................31 7 Best Management Practices For Fire Prevention...................................................33 7.1 Brush Burning............................................................................................33 7.1.1 Issue ...............................................................................................33 7.1.2 Background....................................................................................33 7.1.3 Best Management Practices ...........................................................33 7.2 Flaring........................................................................................................35 7.2.1 Issue ...............................................................................................35 7.2.2 Background....................................................................................35 7.2.3 Best Management Practices ...........................................................36 7.3 All Terrain Vehicles...................................................................................38 7.3.1 Issue ...............................................................................................38 7.3.2 Background....................................................................................38 7.3.3 Best Management Practices ...........................................................38 7.4 Heavy Equipment.......................................................................................40 7.4.1 Issue ...............................................................................................40 7.4.2 Background....................................................................................40 7.4.3 Best Management Practices ...........................................................40 7.5 Light Equipment ........................................................................................41 7.5.1 Issue ...............................................................................................41 7.5.2 Background....................................................................................41 7.5.3 Best Management Practices ...........................................................41 7.6 Welding......................................................................................................42 7.6.1 Issue ...............................................................................................42 7.6.2 Background....................................................................................42 7.6.3 Best Management Practices ...........................................................42 7.7 Using Fire Safely .......................................................................................43 7.7.1 Issue ...............................................................................................43 7.7.2 Background....................................................................................43 7.7.3 Best Management Practices ...........................................................44 a. Smoking .....................................................................................44