Currently, parts of Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia are being ravaged by early and extreme wildfires.
It is difficult to watch the trauma of evacuations, the loss of our Boreal forests, homes, communities and even lives, both human and wild. Yet few are talking about the huge elephant in the room.
In 2023, we had one of the warmest summers on record and it fuelled an exceptionally bad summer for wildfire across Canada. Natural Resources Canada reported that wildfires burned 184,961 square kilometres or about five per cent of the entire forest area of Canada.
Copernicus reported that wildfires in Canada in 2023 emitted 1,740 megatonnes of C02e, which is nearly three times Canada's human-contributed emissions in 2022.
The Shuswap was one of those regions directly impacted in 2023 by the Bush Creek wildfire that burned over 100,000 acres and caused more than $240 million in insured damages alone.
Experts are predicting that 2025 could match the extent of wildfires experienced in 2023, which was the worst year by far on record in terms of hectares burned.
Many politicians understand but are unwilling to acknowledge that our insatiable reliance on burning fossil fuels has increased the frequency and extent of these so-called “natural” disasters. This represents a huge disservice to the public and constituents, who often do not understand the connection between the seriousness of the climate crisis and the chaos it brings.
Forest and wildfire researchers are telling us that climate change is creating the conditions for the unprecedented wildfire destruction we are seeing.
Dr. Mike Flannigan, scientific director of the Thompson Rivers University’s new Institute for Wildfire Science, Adaptation and Resiliency, has been studying forests for decades. He co-authored a recent publication in Science that looked at data from 1981 to 2021 to see if wildfire patterns have become more severe over time. While the severity of wildfires is closely linked to dryer forest fuels due to hotter temperatures and drought, Flannigan believes the underlying
cause is the rapidly warming climate.
Kaitlyn Trudeau, a senior research associate for climate science and a wildfire expert at Climate Central, provides more detail saying, "Climate change-driven heat dries out vegetation and sets the stage for wildfires. Combine that with persistent drought and a locked-in high-pressure system, and you have a perfect storm – one that’s becoming more common as we continue to burn fossil fuels and heat the planet."
What can be done to prepare for increasingly intense wildfire seasons? Addressing the problem requires a multi-pronged approach encompassing prevention, preparedness and response. This includes reducing fuel loads through forest management, enhancing community resilience through FireSmart initiatives, supporting Indigenous burning practices and investing in advanced technology and research.
However, reducing carbon emissions is crucial to avoid further warming and reduce extreme weather events. As citizens we must speak up and demand that all levels of government and industry strive to lower greenhouse gas emissions while preparing for and adapting to a future with increasing risk of fire.
We only need the will to face that elephant in the room!
Julia Beatty is president of the Shuswap Climate Action Society
