Extracting information from reddit for emergency management - A case study on British Columbia wildfire

Abstract

The advent of social media has revolutionized the way information is dissemi-nated and consumed during emergency situations, such as wildfires. This study provides an in-depth analysis of public sentiment and communication patterns on Reddit during wildfire events in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Utilizing a comprehensive methodological framework, the research employs data mining techniques, sentiment analysis, and comparative methods to explore the digi-tal discourse surrounding wildfires. The methodology integrates topic mining, keyword extraction, and sentiment analysis to evaluate the nature and scope of discussions within Reddit communities. Subreddit activity is scrutinized to under-stand regional and national concerns, while sentiment analysis offers insights into the emotional undertones of the discussions. A comparative analysis between Reddit posts and news articles is conducted to assess the interplay between social media narratives and traditional media reporting. The findings reveal a strong regional focus in discussions, reflecting the direct impact of wildfires on local communities. National concern is also evident, with broader societal implications being discussed in both general and niche subreddits. Temporal analysis of sub-reddit activity indicates that engagement is predominantly event-driven, with implications for emergency services, content creators, and community managers.