Hazards in Rundle: wildfire low, radon over the guideline in 8.1% of tested homes
Fire has left almost no mark near Rundle: 0% of the land within 25 km since 1986, 0.000% a year. Seismic risk in Rundle sits near the middle: $0.023 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. Rundle grades B+ for hazard risk; wildfire is low here, so it earns no credit.
What stands out about Rundle’s hazards
For Rundle, from NRCan’s seismic model, Health Canada’s radon survey, the national burned-area record and the flood map inventory.
What Rundle faces
Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.
Wildfire
Earthquakes
Radon
Flood study
Hazard risk in Rundle: B+
Risk averages earthquakes and radon; wildfire joins only where it pulls the average down, so a town like Rundle with little fire nearby would get no credit for it.
Its place: #282 of 474 in Alberta and #1,102 of 2,589 Canadian towns.
How sure: The seismic figure is a long-run average from NRCan’s model, not a prediction. The burned-area record misses fires under about 10 ha and most grass and farm fires.
Wildfire is rare near Rundle: 0% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986, 0% within 5 km
Past fire around Rundle’s homes, from the national burned-area record, with the fuel within 5 km.
A burn rate of 0.000% a year keeps Rundle in the low band (the typical Canadian town: 0.000%).
Rundle’s homes have had no fire within 5 km since 1986; the closest was 17 km away.
With 0% forest fuel within 5 km and 0.5% within 25 km, the land around Rundle gives a fire little to burn.
Shares of land within 5 and 25 km of populated blocks: burned at least once in 1986–2025 (CWFIS burned-area composite), forest fuel and grass (fire behaviour fuel types, 2026, 250 m grid).
Burn rate a year, towns in Alberta · highest of 478
To three decimals the burn rate around Rundle is zero, as for 386 of the 478 towns in Alberta, while Wainwright reaches 1.43%.
Each bar: the yearly average share of land within 25 km of a town’s homes that burned, 1986–2025 (CWFIS); the seven highest towns of 2,500 people or more.
Only 7.5% of Canada’s 2,610 towns are above the low band, which holds 92%; Rundle, at a rounded zero, is far from them.
Bands of the yearly burn rate: low under 0.05%, moderate under 0.25%, high under 1%, very high 1% or more; towns of 2,500 people or more.
Fire danger and active fires (CWFIS)
Canadian Wildland Fire Information System: National Burned Area Composite 1986–2025 and fire behaviour fuel types (2026), Natural Resources Canada. Measured within 25 km and 5 km of each populated dissemination area; past fire, not a forecast.
The flood map inventory lists nothing for Rundle
What Canada’s Flood Map Inventory lists for Rundle: who studied flooding and where to see their maps.
Nationally, Rundle has no listed flood study; the municipality is the place to ask.
Towns with a flood study on file
Rundle has no flood study on file; only 46% of towns in Alberta do, against 58% across Canada.
NRCan Canada Flood Map Inventory: a study footprint touching the town’s boundary; towns of 2,500 people or more.
Flood is shown here, never graded: a study says where a map exists, not how many of Rundle’s homes stand in a flood zone.
The inventory’s own caution (NRCan): “The Canada Flood Map (CFM) does not include every flood hazard map in Canada and may be incomplete or contain inaccuracies. It should not be relied upon as the official source of flood mapping information. Furthermore, if a map appears to be missing, this does not necessarily mean that the area has never been mapped. For the official version of a map, updated information, or confirmation of applicable regulations, please contact the local authority responsible for flood mapping.”
Earthquakes cost buildings in Rundle $0.023 per $1,000 a year
Expected yearly building losses from earthquakes, from Natural Resources Canada’s model.
With $0.023 of shaking damage a year per $1,000, Rundle is about even with the typical $0.030 (0.8 times).
Shaking damage a year per $1,000 of building value
The typical town in Alberta expects $0.013 a year; Rundle expects $0.023, and Black Diamond $0.048.
NRCan seismic risk model (2022): mean yearly building loss per $1,000 of value; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
Around half of Canada’s 2,611 towns expect more shaking damage than Rundle (54%).
Each column: the share of Canada’s towns of 2,500 people or more in that range of yearly loss per $1,000 (NRCan, 2022).
For Rundle the model prices shaking damage to buildings, nothing more.
Natural Resources Canada, Canada’s Seismic Risk Model (2022), by census subdivision (2016 boundaries; a few 2021 subdivisions take their residents’ mean). · Data for earthquake risk covers the city of Calgary
8.1% of homes tested around Rundle are over the radon guideline
Long-term radon tests in homes across the survey area, against Health Canada’s guideline. · Radon tests for the Calgary Health Region
8.1% of tested homes around Rundle were over the guideline, much like the typical Canadian town at 6.6%.
Tested homes over 200 Bq/m³
Over 600 Bq/m³
Radon around Rundle is ordinary for towns in Alberta: 8.1%, beside a median of 7.5%.
Health Canada radon survey (2009–2011), by 2007 health region; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
A middling share of high tests puts Rundle with 37% of Canada’s 2,611 towns, below 26% of them.
Each bar: the share of Canada’s towns of 2,500 people or more whose survey area had that share of tests over 200 Bq/m³.
Radon varies from house to house in Rundle, so the survey is a reason to test, not a result for yours.
Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011).
Where to get warnings in Rundle
Environment and Climate Change Canada issues the weather alerts for Rundle; Alert Ready carries the urgent ones to phones, radio and TV.
| Alert | What it means |
|---|---|
| Warning | Severe weather is happening or about to: act now. |
| Watch | Conditions favour severe weather: be ready. |
| Advisory | Weather that is less severe but could disrupt the day. |
| Special weather statement | Unusual weather worth knowing about. |
| Special air quality statement | Poor air, often wildfire smoke. |
For fires near Rundle, the national fire information system maps danger and active fires daily; local authorities give any evacuation order.
Weather alerts (ECCC) · Alert Ready · Fire danger and active fires (CWFIS)
Hazards in the places around Rundle
Wildfire band, earthquake risk, radon and flood studies for each place nearby.
| Town | Wildfire | Quake $/1,000 | Radon | Flood study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rundle | Low | $0.023 | 8.1% | None listed |
| Whitehorn 11,273 · 1.4 km | Low | $0.023 | 8.1% | None listed |
| Marlborough 8,932 · 1.6 km | Low | $0.023 | 8.1% | None listed |
| Pineridge 10,062 · 2.0 km | Low | $0.023 | 8.1% | None listed |
| Temple 10,545 · 2.2 km | Low | $0.023 | 8.1% | None listed |
| Marlborough Park 8,378 · 2.3 km | Low | $0.023 | 8.1% | None listed |
| Monterey Park 10,363 · 2.8 km | Low | $0.023 | 8.1% | None listed |
Among its neighbours Rundle has the most fire on record (low); Whitehorn follows (low).
Radon is the survey area’s figure, so neighbours in one area share it.
Get ready for what Rundle faces
What to do about the hazards Rundle faces, and what to ask before you buy.
- Test for three months in winter.
- Over 200 Bq/m³: fix it.
- Kits are cheap; pros test too.
- Never drive through floodwater.
- Move papers and medicines upstairs.
- Ask whether your street is mapped.
- Clear needles and wood nearby.
- Keep a grab-and-go bag ready.
- In smoke, stay in; filter air.
- Has it had a radon test?
- Ask the municipality for flood maps.
- Are flood and wildfire insured?
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Flood studies aren’t flood zones. A study’s area can be a whole watershed or province, so being on the inventory says a map exists, not that a home in Rundle floods.
- Wildfire counts one way. Burned land within 25 km of where people live, averaged over 1986–2025 and checked for fuel near homes, is the measure; it looks back, not ahead, and only ever counts against Rundle.
- Radon is a survey. The radon share comes from about 14,000 long-term home tests in 2009–2011, pooled for now by the 2007 health region Rundle sits in.
- Earthquakes are modelled. The earthquake figure is an expected loss, not a forecast, worked out by NRCan for each census subdivision, Rundle’s included.
Questions about flooding and hazards in Rundle
How big is the earthquake risk in Rundle?
In NRCan’s seismic model, Rundle’s buildings lose $0.023 per $1,000 of value in an average year.
Is Rundle at risk of wildfire?
Fire has reached 0% of the land around Rundle since 1986 (last in 2014); at low, it neither helps nor hurts the grade.
Is radon a problem in Rundle?
Around Rundle, 86 survey homes were tested and 8.1% came in over 200 Bq/m³, a guide to the area, not to any one home.
Does Rundle flood?
With 0 studies on the inventory, Rundle’s flood risk is unmapped nationally; check with the municipality before buying.
How is Rundle’s Hazard risk Grade worked out?
Hazard risk gives Rundle B+, weighing earthquakes and radon and counting wildfire only against it.
Seismic risk: Natural Resources Canada. Radon: Health Canada. Wildfire: Canadian Wildland Fire Information System. Flood studies: Natural Resources Canada, Canada Flood Map Inventory. Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada.
Sources: NRCan, Canada’s Seismic Risk Model 2022 · Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes · CWFIS, National Burned Area Composite and FBP fuel types · NRCan, Canada Flood Map Inventory. Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).