Photo: Hero122 · CC BY 3.0Hazard risk in Flagstaff County is lower than in 95% of Canadian towns
Little of the land around Flagstaff County has burned: 0.2% within 25 km since 1986, or 0.007% a year. Seismic risk runs low: $0.007 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. About as many homes carry radon around Flagstaff County as elsewhere, 5.2% over the guideline where the typical town has 6.6%. Flagstaff County grades A for hazard risk, with wildfire counted against it.
What stands out about Flagstaff County’s hazards
For Flagstaff County, from NRCan’s seismic model, Health Canada’s radon survey, the national burned-area record and the flood map inventory.
What Flagstaff County faces
Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.
Wildfire
Earthquakes
Radon
Flood study
Flagstaff County grades A for hazard risk
The grade weighs Flagstaff County’s seismic risk and radon equally, and wildfire is one-sided: a high band counts against a town, a low one earns nothing.
Its place: #215 of 474 in Alberta and #254 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 Flagstaff County: 0.2% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986, 0% within 5 km
Fires mapped since 1986 around where Flagstaff County’s residents live, and the fuel next to their homes.
In a typical year 0.007% of the land near Flagstaff County burns; the typical Canadian town sees 0.000%, and both are low.
Flagstaff County’s homes have had no fire within 5 km since 1986; the closest was 19 km away.
Forest makes up 0% of the land within 5 km of Flagstaff County and 0.1% within 25 km, little for a forest fire to run through.
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
Flagstaff County ranks 63rd of the 478 towns in Alberta for burn rate, at 0.007% a year; Wainwright leads with 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.
The low band takes in 92% of Canada’s 2,610 towns, Flagstaff County among them, though its rate is above zero; 7.5% rank higher.
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 Flagstaff County
Flood studies whose area touches Flagstaff County, from NRCan’s inventory, each linked to its owner.
NRCan’s inventory is silent on Flagstaff County, so any flood map would be the municipality’s own.
Towns with a flood study on file
Only 46% of towns in Alberta have a flood study, short of Canada’s 58%, and Flagstaff County is not among them.
NRCan Canada Flood Map Inventory: a study footprint touching the town’s boundary; towns of 2,500 people or more.
The grade leaves flood out, since a study area says nothing about how many of Flagstaff County’s homes are at risk.
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.”
Little shaking expected in Flagstaff County: $0.007 a year per $1,000
NRCan’s seismic risk model: the damage shaking is expected to do to buildings each year, on average over many years.
0.2 times the typical $0.030: Flagstaff County’s $0.007 is low for Canada.
Shaking damage a year per $1,000 of building value
Earthquake risk in Alberta peaks in Black Diamond ($0.048); Flagstaff County, at $0.007, is below the median of $0.013.
NRCan seismic risk model (2022): mean yearly building loss per $1,000 of value; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
Flagstaff County is in the lower part of Canada’s range for earthquake risk; 88% of the 2,611 towns are higher.
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).
What a quake does after the shaking, fire, landslides, tsunami, falls outside NRCan’s figure for Flagstaff County.
Natural Resources Canada, Canada’s Seismic Risk Model (2022), by census subdivision (2016 boundaries; a few 2021 subdivisions take their residents’ mean).
Radon about average around Flagstaff County: 5.2% over the guideline
Health Canada’s survey of long-term home tests: the share above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline.
Flagstaff County’s area, at 5.2%, is close to the 6.6% of the typical Canadian town. Behind radon tests sits data gathered across the East Central Health, with Flagstaff County one part of it.
Tested homes over 200 Bq/m³
Over 600 Bq/m³
Around Flagstaff County, 5.2% of tests were over 200 Bq/m³, under the median in Alberta (7.5%); 1% were over 600.
Health Canada radon survey (2009–2011), by 2007 health region; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
26% of Canada’s 2,611 towns have more homes over 200 Bq/m³ than Flagstaff County’s 5–10% band, which holds 37%.
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.
Neighbouring homes in Flagstaff County can differ a lot; only a long-term test tells you about yours.
Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011).
Where to get warnings in Flagstaff County
Environment and Climate Change Canada issues the weather alerts for Flagstaff County; 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. |
In fire season, check CWFIS for danger and active fires around Flagstaff County, and listen to local authorities for orders.
Weather alerts (ECCC) · Alert Ready · Fire danger and active fires (CWFIS)
Get ready for what Flagstaff County faces
What to do about the hazards Flagstaff County 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
- Radon is a survey. Radon figures pool the survey’s home tests by area: postal areas once their boundaries arrive, the 2007 health region around Flagstaff County until then.
- 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 Flagstaff County.
- Earthquakes are modelled. The earthquake figure is an expected loss, not a forecast, worked out by NRCan for each census subdivision, Flagstaff County’s included.
- Flood studies aren’t flood zones. Flood studies cover areas of every size, which is why the page lists them for Flagstaff County without grading them.
Questions about flooding and hazards in Flagstaff County
How is Flagstaff County’s Hazard risk Grade worked out?
Hazard risk gives Flagstaff County A, weighing earthquakes and radon and counting wildfire only against it.
Does Flagstaff County flood?
With 0 studies on the inventory, Flagstaff County’s flood risk is unmapped nationally; check with the municipality before buying.
How big is the earthquake risk in Flagstaff County?
About $0.007 a year per $1,000 of building value, NRCan’s long-run expectation for Flagstaff County.
Is radon a problem in Flagstaff County?
Around Flagstaff County, 97 survey homes were tested and 5.2% came in over 200 Bq/m³, a guide to the area, not to any one home.
Is Flagstaff County at risk of wildfire?
Fire has reached 0.2% of the land around Flagstaff County since 1986 (last in 2018); at low, it neither helps nor hurts the grade.
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).