Wildfire Evacuation Insights from GPS Data: Contrasting Tantallon and Jasper, Canada

Abstract. Wildfires pose significant threats to communities, and understanding evacuation dynamics is critical for improving emergency preparedness. GPS data offer a reliable and scalable tool for analyzing evacuation, with insights into spatial patterns, route preferences, and regional differences. This study examines GPS records during the wildfires in Upper Tantallon, Nova Scotia (2023), and Jasper, Alberta (2024) and explores evacuation patterns and road usage. The analysis focuses on key highways and towns impacted by the wildfires, highlighting evacuation timelines and the distance traveled. In Upper Tantallon, a significant decline in GPS device activity was observed, reflecting a reduction in population. In contrast, Jasper showed a highly erratic GPS device activity and the evacuees also traveled longer distances on average. The research underscores the differences in wildfire evacuation behavior between the two regions.