Photo: Oulgara Warter · CC0Hazards in Racine: wildfire low, radon over the guideline in 7.3% of tested homes
Around Racine, wildfire is practically absent from the record: 0% within 25 km since 1986, 0.000% a year. Seismic risk in Racine sits near the middle: $0.041 of expected damage per $1,000 of buildings a year, the typical town $0.030. Hazard risk gives Racine a grade of B, from earthquakes and radon alone.
What stands out about Racine’s hazards
Four national sources, each read for Racine: earthquakes, radon, past fires and flood studies.
What Racine faces
Each hazard against its own yardstick; meters run from low to high on that yardstick.
Wildfire
Earthquakes
Radon
Flood study
Hazard risk in Racine: B
Risk averages earthquakes and radon; wildfire joins only where it pulls the average down, so a town like Racine with little fire nearby would get no credit for it.
How sure: Earthquake losses are a model’s expectation over many years, not a forecast for any one. The radon share rests on 55 home tests in the survey area, so a few homes move it. Small fires and grass fires are largely missing from the national burned-area record.
Wildfire is rare near Racine: 0% of the land within 25 km burned since 1986, 0% within 5 km
Fires mapped since 1986 around where Racine’s residents live, and the fuel next to their homes.
The land within 25 km of Racine burns at 0.000% a year on average, the low band; the typical Canadian town: 0.000%.
Nothing inside 5 km of Racine’s homes has burned since 1986, and the nearest scar is 20 km off.
30% of the land within 5 km of Racine is forest fuel, close to the 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 Quebec · highest of 514
Fire has taken almost none of the land around Racine, as for 145 of the 514 towns in Quebec; Mistissini tops the list at 0.31%.
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.
Measured against 2,610 towns, Racine is in the largest group, low (92%), and at its floor, while 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.
No flood study is listed for Racine
Flood studies whose area touches Racine, from NRCan’s inventory, each linked to its owner.
There is no study for Racine on the national flood inventory, which is far from complete.
Towns with a flood study on file
Mapping in Quebec reaches 45% of towns, below the 58% across Canada, and not Racine.
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 Racine’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 Racine $0.041 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 $0.041 of shaking damage a year per $1,000, Racine is about even with the typical $0.030 (1.4 times).
Shaking damage a year per $1,000 of building value
The typical town in Quebec expects $0.14 a year in shaking damage; Racine expects less, $0.041, and La Pocatière the most, $0.48.
NRCan seismic risk model (2022): mean yearly building loss per $1,000 of value; medians of towns of 2,500 people or more.
Neither high nor low for Canada: 43% of the 2,611 towns expect more damage than Racine.
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).
The loss is to Racine’s buildings alone, from ground shaking; infrastructure and secondary hazards are left out.
Natural Resources Canada, Canada’s Seismic Risk Model (2022), by census subdivision (2016 boundaries; a few 2021 subdivisions take their residents’ mean).
Some radon around Racine: 7.3% of area homes over the guideline
Health Canada’s survey of long-term home tests: the share above the 200 Bq/m³ guideline. · Measured across the Estrie health region: radon tests
At 7.3% over the guideline, the area around Racine is about level with the typical Canadian town’s 6.6%.
Tested homes over 200 Bq/m³
Over 600 Bq/m³
The typical town in Quebec has 8.2% over 200 Bq/m³; Racine’s area has 7.3%, much the same.
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 Racine 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.
The survey sampled homes around Racine; it can’t tell you your basement’s level.
Health Canada, Cross-Canada Survey of Radon Concentrations in Homes (2009–2011).
Weather and fire alerts for Racine
Environment and Climate Change Canada issues the weather alerts for Racine; 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 Racine, and listen to local authorities for orders.
Weather alerts (ECCC) · Alert Ready · Fire danger and active fires (CWFIS)
Hazards in the places around Racine
The same four hazards for the places next door.
| Town | Wildfire | Quake $/1,000 | Radon | Flood study |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Racine | Low | $0.041 | 7.3% | None listed |
| Valcourt 2,203 · 7.9 km | Low | $0.041 | 7.3% | Yes |
| Saint-Denis-de-Brompton 5,249 · 9.9 km | Low | $0.047 | 7.3% | Yes |
| Valcourt 1,081 · 10 km | Low | $0.054 | 7.3% | Yes |
| Orford 5,698 · 15 km | Low | $0.042 | 7.3% | Yes |
| Saint-François-Xavier-de-Brompton 2,650 · 16 km | Low | $0.047 | 7.3% | Yes |
| Eastman 2,706 · 17 km | Low | $0.040 | 7.3% | Yes |
Fire is no heavier anywhere nearby than around Racine (low), with Valcourt next at low.
Radon is the survey area’s figure, so neighbours in one area share it.
Get ready for what Racine faces
What to do about the hazards Racine 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
- Wildfire counts one way. Wildfire is read from the national burned-area record around Racine’s homes since 1986, a history of fire that may lower Risk but never raises it.
- Flood studies aren’t flood zones. The flood inventory points to maps; it is incomplete and not the official source, so ask the municipality about any street in Racine.
- Radon is a survey. Health Canada’s survey tested some 14,000 homes over three months; until postal-area boundaries are loaded, Racine takes its 2007 health region’s share.
- Earthquakes are modelled. NRCan models what earthquakes would cost buildings each year on average, subdivision by subdivision; Racine’s figure is its subdivision’s.
Questions about flooding and hazards in Racine
Is radon a problem in Racine?
In Health Canada’s survey, 7.3% of 55 homes tested in Racine’s area were above 200 Bq/m³, though only a test tells you about one house.
Does Racine flood?
Nothing is listed for Racine on the national inventory (0); local maps may still exist with the municipality.
How big is the earthquake risk in Racine?
About $0.041 a year per $1,000 of building value, NRCan’s long-run expectation for Racine.
How is Racine’s Hazard risk Grade worked out?
Racine grades B for hazard risk, from earthquakes and radon, with wildfire counted only where it lowers the grade.
Is Racine at risk of wildfire?
Less than most of Canada: 0% of the land within 25 km of Racine has burned since 1986, the last in 2016, a low band that leaves Risk alone.
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).