Photo: SimonP at English Wikipedia · CC BY-SA 3.0Hazards in Stittsville: wildfire low, radon over the guideline in 6.2% of tested homes
Fire seldom reaches Stittsville: since 1986, 0.1% of the land within 25 km has burned (0.002% a year). Earthquakes add more: NRCan’s model puts building losses at $0.15 a year per $1,000 of value, against $0.030 for the typical town. Hazard risk gives Stittsville a grade of C+; its wildfire band pulls it down.
What stands out about Stittsville’s hazards
For Stittsville, from NRCan’s seismic model, Health Canada’s radon survey, the national burned-area record and the flood map inventory.
What Stittsville faces
Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.
Wildfire
Earthquakes
Radon
Flood study
Hazard risk in Stittsville: C+
Risk averages earthquakes and radon; wildfire joins only where it pulls the average down, so a town like Stittsville with little fire nearby would get no credit for it.
Its place: #703 of 866 in Ontario and #1,894 of 2,589 Canadian towns.
How sure: The seismic figure is a long-run average from NRCan’s model, not a prediction. Only 64 homes were tested in the survey area, so the radon share is rough. The burned-area record misses fires under about 10 ha and most grass and farm fires.
Wildfire is rare near Stittsville: 0.1% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986, 0% within 5 km
Past fire around Stittsville’s homes, from the national burned-area record, with the fuel within 5 km.
In a typical year 0.002% of the land near Stittsville burns; the typical Canadian town sees 0.000%, and both are low.
The 5 km ring around Stittsville’s homes is clear of burns since 1986, the nearest 15 km out.
Near or far, forest fuel covers a similar share around Stittsville: 12% within 5 km and 15% 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: Stittsville ranks 54th of 871 at 0.002% 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 Stittsville 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.
The flood map inventory lists nothing for Stittsville
What Canada’s Flood Map Inventory lists for Stittsville: who studied flooding and where to see their maps.
Canada’s Flood Map Inventory lists no study whose area touches Stittsville, which doesn’t mean it has never been mapped.
Towns with a flood study on file
69% of towns in Ontario have a flood study, more than Canada’s 58%; Stittsville is not yet one of them.
NRCan Canada Flood Map Inventory: a study footprint touching the town’s boundary; towns of 2,500 people or more.
Flood studies don’t enter the grade; they are listed so you can open the official map for Stittsville.
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 Stittsville $0.15 per $1,000 a year
Expected yearly building losses from earthquakes, from Natural Resources Canada’s model.
At $0.15 per $1,000, Stittsville carries roughly 5 times the typical Canadian town’s earthquake risk ($0.030).
Stittsville shares its earthquake risk numbers with the rest of the city of Ottawa.
Shaking damage a year per $1,000 of building value
At $0.15, Stittsville is above the typical town in Ontario ($0.043); Alexandria has the most 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.
In the upper part of Canada’s range: 15% of its 2,611 towns expect more damage than Stittsville.
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).
Only shaking damage to buildings in Stittsville is counted; landslides, liquefaction, tsunami and fire after a quake aren’t.
Natural Resources Canada, Canada’s Seismic Risk Model (2022), by census subdivision (2016 boundaries; a few 2021 subdivisions take their residents’ mean).
6.2% of homes tested around Stittsville are over the radon guideline
Long-term radon tests in homes across the survey area, against Health Canada’s guideline.
At 6.2% over the guideline, the area around Stittsville is about level with the typical Canadian town’s 6.6%.
Tested homes over 200 Bq/m³
Over 600 Bq/m³
Stittsville’s area, at 6.2%, is above the median in Ontario (4%).
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 Stittsville 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.
Health Canada advises testing every home, Stittsville’s included, whatever the area’s figure.
Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011). · Not measured by town: radon tests (the City of Ottawa Health Unit)
Where to get warnings in Stittsville
Alerts for Stittsville come from Environment and Climate Change Canada and, for emergencies, Alert Ready.
| 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. |
Alert Ready carries evacuation orders for Stittsville to phones; CWFIS shows the day’s fire danger.
Weather alerts (ECCC) · Alert Ready · Fire danger and active fires (CWFIS)
How Stittsville’s neighbours compare on hazards
Wildfire band, earthquake risk, radon and flood studies for each place nearby.
| Town | Wildfire | Quake $/1,000 | Radon | Flood study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stittsville | Low | $0.15 | 6.2% | None listed |
| Stittsville North 13,331 · 2.5 km | Low | $0.15 | 6.2% | None listed |
| Stittsville East 10,482 · 2.8 km | Low | $0.15 | 6.2% | None listed |
| Glen Cairn 14,020 · 4.4 km | Low | $0.15 | 6.2% | None listed |
| Katimavik-Hazeldean 11,437 · 5.7 km | Low | $0.15 | 6.2% | None listed |
| Bridlewood - Emerald Meadows 25,824 · 5.9 km | Low | $0.15 | 6.2% | None listed |
| Kanata Lakes 19,861 · 6.9 km | Low | $0.15 | 6.2% | None listed |
The neighbour with the most fire is Stittsville North (low), still no more than Stittsville (low).
Radon is the survey area’s figure, so neighbours in one area share it.
Get ready for what Stittsville faces
What to do about the hazards Stittsville 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.
- Drop, cover and hold on.
- Strap the water heater down.
- Keep 72 hours of supplies.
- Has it had a radon test?
- Ask the municipality for flood maps.
- Are flood and wildfire insured?
- Is earthquake cover included?
What this data can and can’t tell you
- Wildfire counts one way. For Stittsville, wildfire means how much nearby land burned in the past forty years, a one-way input that can pull Risk down and nothing more.
- 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 Stittsville sits in.
- 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 Stittsville floods.
- Earthquakes are modelled. Seismic risk is NRCan’s model of yearly building losses from shaking, averaged over many years and given for Stittsville’s census subdivision (a neighbourhood shows its city’s).
Questions about flooding and hazards in Stittsville
Is radon a problem in Stittsville?
In Health Canada’s survey, 6.2% of 64 homes tested in Stittsville’s area were above 200 Bq/m³, though only a test tells you about one house.
How big is the earthquake risk in Stittsville?
NRCan’s model expects shaking to cost buildings in Stittsville $0.15 a year for every $1,000 of their value, on average over many years.
How is Stittsville’s Hazard risk Grade worked out?
Stittsville’s Hazard risk grade is C+, built on earthquakes and radon with a one-sided wildfire input.
Is Stittsville at risk of wildfire?
Less than most of Canada: 0.1% of the land within 25 km of Stittsville has burned since 1986, the last in 2014, a low band that leaves Risk alone.
Does Stittsville flood?
Nothing is listed for Stittsville on the national inventory (0); local maps may still exist with the municipality.
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).