Photo: MikeStnly · CC BY-SA 4.0Flood mapping exists for Minden Hills: 2 on record, latest by County of Haliburton
Wildfire is rare near Minden Hills: 0% of the land within 25 km has burned since 1986, a burn rate of 0.001% a year. NRCan expects $0.024 of shaking damage a year per $1,000 of buildings in Minden Hills, near the typical $0.030. Radon around Minden Hills is ordinary for Canada: 6.1% of tested homes over the guideline (6.6% typical). Hazard risk gives Minden Hills a grade of A−; its wildfire band pulls it down.
What stands out about Minden Hills’s hazards
For Minden Hills, from NRCan’s seismic model, Health Canada’s radon survey, the national burned-area record and the flood map inventory.
What Minden Hills faces
Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.
Wildfire
Earthquakes
Radon
Flood study
Hazard risk in Minden Hills: A−
The grade weighs Minden Hills’ seismic risk and radon equally, and wildfire is one-sided: a high band counts against a town, a low one earns nothing.
Its place: #445 of 866 in Ontario and #867 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 Minden Hills: 0% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986, 0% within 5 km
Fires mapped since 1986 around where Minden Hills’ residents live, and the fuel next to their homes.
In a typical year 0.001% of the land near Minden Hills burns; the typical Canadian town sees 0.000%, and both are low.
Near or far, forest fuel covers a similar share around Minden Hills: 27% within 5 km and 30% within 25 km.
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 Ontario · highest of 871
In the top quarter in Ontario: Minden Hills ranks 83rd of 871 at 0.001% a year, with Sioux Lookout first at 0.16%.
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.
Low, like 92% of the country’s 2,610 towns: the land around Minden Hills burns, but slower than in the 7.5% above it.
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.
2 flood studies cover Minden Hills, the newest from County of Haliburton
Flood studies whose area touches Minden Hills, from NRCan’s inventory, each linked to its owner.
County of Haliburton and others have studied flooding in areas that include Minden Hills: 2 studies, the latest from 2024.
| Study | By | Year | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gull and Burnt River Watersheds within Haliburton County | County of Haliburton | 2024 | final |
| County of Haliburton Floodplain Mapping Project | Ganaraska Region Conservation Authority | 2024 | final |
Towns with a flood study on file
69% of towns in Ontario have a flood study, more than Canada’s 58%; Minden Hills has one too.
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 Minden Hills’ 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.”
Natural Resources Canada, Canada Flood Map Inventory; links go to each study’s owner.
Earthquakes cost buildings in Minden Hills $0.024 per $1,000 a year
NRCan’s seismic risk model: the damage shaking is expected to do to buildings each year, on average over many years.
With $0.024 of shaking damage a year per $1,000, Minden Hills is about even with the typical $0.030 (0.8 times).
Shaking damage a year per $1,000 of building value
At $0.024, Minden Hills is below the typical town in Ontario ($0.043); Alexandria is highest at $0.21.
NRCan seismic risk model (2022): mean yearly building loss per $1,000 of value; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
Minden Hills sits mid-range among Canada’s 2,611 towns: 54% expect more shaking damage.
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 Minden Hills 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).
Radon about average around Minden Hills: 6.1% over the guideline
Health Canada’s survey of long-term home tests: the share above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline. · The radon tests numbers here cover the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Heal health region
The survey area of Minden Hills reads 6.1%, a shade from the typical Canadian town’s 6.6%.
Tested homes over 200 Bq/m³
Over 600 Bq/m³
More homes top the guideline around Minden Hills (6.1%) than in the typical town in Ontario (4%); 1% went over 600.
Health Canada radon survey (2009–2011), by 2007 health region; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
Minden Hills is in the 5–10% band with 37% of Canada’s 2,611 towns; 26% have more.
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.
Health Canada advises testing every home, Minden Hills’ included, whatever the area’s figure.
Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011).
Where to get warnings in Minden Hills
Environment and Climate Change Canada issues the weather alerts for Minden Hills; 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 Minden Hills, and listen to local authorities for orders.
Weather alerts (ECCC) · Alert Ready · Fire danger and active fires (CWFIS)
Hazards in the places around Minden Hills
The same four hazards for the places next door.
| Town | Wildfire | Quake $/1,000 | Radon | Flood study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minden Hills | Low | $0.024 | 6.1% | Yes |
| Algonquin Highlands 2,915 · 18 km | Low | $0.021 | 6.1% | Yes |
Fire is no heavier anywhere nearby than around Minden Hills (low), with Algonquin Highlands next at low.
Radon is the survey area’s figure, so neighbours in one area share it.
Get ready for what Minden Hills faces
What to do about the hazards Minden Hills 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?
- Check the address on the flood map.
- Are flood and wildfire insured?
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Earthquakes are modelled. The earthquake figure is an expected loss, not a forecast, worked out by NRCan for each census subdivision, Minden Hills’ included.
- 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 Minden Hills floods.
- 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 Minden Hills sits in.
- 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 Minden Hills.
Questions about flooding and hazards in Minden Hills
Is radon a problem in Minden Hills?
Around Minden Hills, 98 survey homes were tested and 6.1% came in over 200 Bq/m³, a guide to the area, not to any one home.
How big is the earthquake risk in Minden Hills?
Expected earthquake damage in Minden Hills comes to $0.024 a year for each $1,000 that buildings are worth.
How is Minden Hills’s Hazard risk Grade worked out?
Minden Hills’ Hazard risk grade is A−, built on earthquakes and radon with a one-sided wildfire input.
Does Minden Hills flood?
Minden Hills’ area has been studied for flooding, and the owner’s map shows which streets lie in a zone; the grade leaves flood out.
Is Minden Hills at risk of wildfire?
Fire has reached 0% of the land around Minden Hills since 1986 (last in 2025); 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).