Wildfire: Nature, Government, Choice

April 1, 2016

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• Forests
• WLA Archive

April 2016 Wildlands Advocate article by Ian Urquhart

Slave Lake, Kelowna, Barriere, La Loche, now Fort McMurray. The wildfires that devastated lives in these communities testify to the likelihood, if not certainty, that we’ve crossed a threshold. The world of wildfire in twenty-first century Canada promises to be a very different and more challenging world than it was a generation ago. Here’s a look at the presence of wildfire on the Canadian/Albertan landscapes, explanations for this pattern, how government is addressing wildfire, and the hard choices we need to debate.

In Alberta our future is very likely one where the risks of wildfires starting are greater than recently. Also, the potential for wildfires to grow quickly and dramatically likely is greater as well.

To obtain a pdf copy of the full article, click here.