Kira Hoffman (she/her)

About me

I was born/grew up in: Smithers, British Columbia

I now live in: Smithers, British Columbia

I completed my training/education at: 

I started by completing a Diploma at Selkirk College – Forest Technology and university credit program.

From there I completed a BSc (Honours) at the University of Victoria in Biogeography.

Then I completed a PhD at the University of Victoria in Environmental Science.

After I completed my PhD, I completed a Fellowship at the University of Oregon. This was followed by Postdoctoral research at the University of Waterloo and Postdoctoral research at University of British Columbia. During my Fellowship and postdoctoral research, I continued to develop my research skills.

What I do at work

I am a postdoctoral researcher at both a university and a not-for profit organization.  Post doctorate research is where people who have gotten their PhD can engage in one-the-job training to develop their research skills. This is a lot like a medical doctor who decides to specialize in heart surgery.

I often work at my computer. I write up reports and code the datasets I’ve collected. I also work on presentations that I give to the general public or other scientists.

I like building relationships with others. I enjoy working on problems with people who have different perspectives or viewpoints. This helps ground my research in real world thinking. I also support controlled burning. So, I go out to light fires and direct crews for safe and effective burns. Doing this type of work can be stressful, especially when I’m out on the fireline. When we are working with fire, I’m responsible for the safety of the other people. But the fireline is also an exciting place to be!

I really enjoy working in a team. I use lots of specialized equipment on the fireline. This includes weather stations, radios, drip torches, pumps, and chainsaws. I also use special devices that measure the intensity of the fire. I rely heavily on my colleagues and my fire training. Also, I am an athlete in my spare time. This helps prepare me for the fireline. Check my personal website to learn more about what I do and my research.

My career path is

I never imagined I’d be a scientist. I struggled in high school with math, physics and biology. I didn’t think I had the smarts to take these courses at a higher level. Luckily, I had a very supportive teacher in college. They helped me realize I just needed better examples and patience to learn some of these concepts.

I went to university as a mature student. I really excelled in the Biogeography program. I fought forest fires during the summer months. I was part of an initial attack fire crew in British Columbia.

I’ve always been very interested in fire. So I pursued fire ecology during my PhD. I didn’t really decide to go into this field. In many ways I feel I’m constantly learning and still figuring out next steps. My path wasn’t linear or simple. But I worked really hard. I also had strong mentors who supported me through the tough parts.

It was very difficult to be a woman working on a fire crew. I had to overcome many barriers. Often, I wasn’t included in the team. Now, I really focus on being a mentor for other women and girls who want to pursue a career in fire. 

I am motivated by

My team gets me excited at work! Burn days are definitely the most interesting. I also find interesting or unexpected things when I’m out in the field examining trees for fire scars. I love finding remains of the past in the places I visit. What I enjoy most about my job is taking my kids with me to work. I get to show them how proud I am of what I do.

How I affect peoples’ lives

My career matters because I’m changing how people interact with and feel about fire. I’m bringing back healthy landscapes with the use of fire. I also connect young practitioners, even kids, with fire. Seeing people connect with fire again through burning or watching a burn is exciting and fulfilling. My job makes a difference when I bring a community together and support lasting relationships.

Outside of work I

I love being outside with my family and dog. We ski in the winter, and hike and camp in the summer. I am a Nordic ski coach in the winter. In the summer, I volunteer removing invasive weeds from the valley I live in. I also love playing ping pong with my friends. Any sport or game is fun for me, even if I’m bad at it!

My advice to others

I would say that sometimes things can be very difficult. But they get better. When people want to help you, let them. It can be a long road to working in fire. But it can be very rewarding. It’s definitely not for everyone!