As extreme heat events intensify in Canada, efforts are on to better manage and respond Forest fire across the country.
Canadian wildfire season started off slow this year But with rising temperatures coupled with drought conditions, wildfire activity has increased in the West, including in British Columbia, Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta.
“We are preparing for the potential for significant fires over the next two to four weeks as we move into August,” said Cliff Chapman, the BC Wildfire Service’s director of provincial operations.
Last year, the country saw the start of a record-setting heat wave and wildfire season with higher intensities and overall numbers, particularly in BC, where a provincial emergency was declared in July.
With the effects of climate change seen around the world, fire experts say advanced planning needs to be pursued.
“We’re all working on what looks like preparation in anticipation of fire season and then obviously looking at our response strategy as well,” Chapman said.
When it comes to predicting fires, the BC Wildfire Service is collaborating with space agencies using artificial intelligence and data from multiple sources.
Chapman said there’s room to grow when it comes to modeling potential growth — showing how widespread and intense wildfires can become — and “we need to put the right people in the right places for an aggressive initial attack.” allows.”
It also includes more collaboration and more resources.
The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) has expanded its firefighting capacity with its tribal council partners by adding five employees in northern communities and increasing some of those employees in the fall.
“This year, SPSA aircraft were operational earlier in the season to address the potential for southern grass fires and will be extended later in the fall for the same reasons,” said Steve Roberts, Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency’s vice president of operations. ,
Roberts told Global News in an email that the province is working with indigenous leadership to more collaboratively manage the evacuation.
Other recent improvements include greater weather reporting capability in southern Saskatchewan and the launch of an interactive provincial fire restrictions map this year to make it easier for the public to collect information about current fire restrictions across the province.
Because resources remain a challenge not only in Canada but around the world, Chapman noted that in the past few years, countries such as the United States, Mexico, Australia, New York, and other countries relying heavily on resources have led to a “national shift”. Is. New Zealand and South Africa.
canadian forest fire danger rating system In development since 1968, but the Canadian Forest Service has begun to use newer technology, including weather stations and remote sensing.
CFFDRS modeling helps in predicting the likelihood of fires and their potential escalation and intensity based on current weather conditions to help fire management agencies better prepare for timely response.
“We are slowly trying to develop and improve the models they use on a daily basis,” said Chelen Hans, a physicist at the Canadian Forest Service.
Using those models, provincial fire managers are now trying to focus on longer periods, such as 10 days, Haines said. He said that in the past, they were mainly concerned about today and tomorrow.
For the 2022 wildfire season, the federal government $516 million has been earmarked Helping provinces train firefighters, purchase equipment, and develop a new surveillance satellite system.
Haynes said the extra money will help keep modeling moving at a faster pace.
“We are hoping that by 2025 we will start rolling out some of these new models.”
On Monday, the federal emergency preparedness minister Bill Blair announced that Ottawa is providing $870 million Advance payments to help British Columbia rebuild and recover from natural disasters.
Canada’s wildfire season typically begins in April, reaches its peak in July and ends in October.
Every year, planning for the next wildfire season begins shortly after the end of the previous one, said David Martel, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto’s Institute of Forestry and Conservation.
He added that “after action reports” written by external third parties, commissioned by the government, look at key events during the fire season to help identify what worked and what didn’t, which is crucial to making decisions for the next season. can give information.
Alberta Wildfires said it is continually evaluating wildfire management practices and procedures to see where prevention and detection can be improved.
“The implementation of the new technology helps the department meet its mandate while managing rising costs,” said Mackenzie Blyth, spokesman for Alberta’s Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development.
Over time, policies and management practices have evolved, but there is still a need to invest more and focus on fire-smart landscapes, homes and cottages, Martel said.
“We’re doing better, but we’re certainly not doing very well,” he said.
In May 2022, BC government announced That it was expanding its alert ready system beyond Tsunami Alert and Amber Alert to include threats from floods and wildfires.
According to Emergency Management BC, “Expanding the use of this tool has the potential to save lives and ensure that BC is better able to respond to emergencies, as we see the seriousness and severity associated with emergency management hazards in our province.” The risks increase.”
EMBC is also working to modernize the province’s evacuation support services, including the development of an Evacuation Registration and Assistance (ERA) tool to expedite processes and better meet evacuees’ urgent needs such as food, shelter and clothing. Is.
At the end of the day, effectively managing wildfires requires a collective effort across the country involving local governments, First Nations communities and other stakeholders, Chapman said.
“The reality is that (forest fires) are going to happen here and they’re going to happen here more often,”
“We can’t do it alone.”
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