Close X
Friday, January 10, 2025
ADVT 
National

Canada primed for more severe wildfire days, driven by dry forest fuel: study

Darpan News Desk The Canadian Press, 02 Jan, 2025 03:13 PM
  • Canada primed for more severe wildfire days, driven by dry forest fuel: study

Canadian forests are increasingly primed for severe, uncontrollable wildfires, a study published Thursday said, underlining what the authors described as a pressing need to proactively mitigate the "increased threat posed by climate change."

The study by Canadian researchers, published in the peer-reviewed journal Science, looked at Canadian fire severity from 1981 to 2020. 

"The widespread increases, along with limited decreases, in high-burn severity days during 1981 to 2020 indicate the increasingly severe fire situation and more challenging fire season under the changing climate in Canada," the study read.

Co-author Xianli Wang, a research scientist with the Canadian Forest Service, says there were on average an additional two days conducive to high-severity fires in 2000 to 2020, compared to the previous two decades. In some areas, it was closer to five days. 

While that may not sound like much, last summer's devastating wildfire in Jasper, Alta., grew to about 60 square kilometres in a matter of hours.

"This is just a more dramatic fire situation that we are currently having than before," he said. 

When it comes to the geographic distribution of severe wildfire, Wang said the findings suggest Canada's record-breaking 2023 season was not an aberration, but a "glimpse into the future." 

"You will see this kind of high-severity burning across the board," said Wang. 

The study suggests the major environmental driver of fire severity was dry fuel, such as twigs and leaves, while the effect of weather – such as hot, dry and windy conditions – was more pronounced in northern regions. 

The results, the study said, demonstrated "the critical role that drought plays" in a fire's severity. 

As climate change lengthens the fire season, the study says spring and autumn have added more high-severity burn days in recent decades. Those increases coincided with areas that also had the most severe summer months.

"A lot of the time, you think only summer fires are more severe – they burn higher flames, they destroy everything – but in the spring it's not that bad. That is not the case anymore," Wang said. 

The greatest increase in burn severity days was recorded in an area covering northern Quebec and an area covering Northwest Territories, northwest Alberta and northeast British Columbia. 

Both of those regions are home to extensive coniferous trees. Areas with more low-burn severity days were mainly in southern broadleaf and mixed-wood forests, the study said. 

Severity is a measure of how much damage a fire wreaks on the forest's vegetation and soil. While fire is a natural part of the ecosystem, Wang said severe fires can in some cases burn so hot and deep into the ground that they wipe out seeds stored in the soil, affecting the forest's recovery.

The findings, the study suggested, could help decision makers choose the best times and locations for prescribed burns – planned and controlled fires intended to support natural regeneration – while also reducing fire hazards to nearby communities. 

MORE National ARTICLES

BC Coroners Service sees 'significant decline' in drug deaths, but reason unclear

BC Coroners Service sees 'significant decline' in drug deaths, but reason unclear
A statement from the service says 1,925 people have died in overdoses this year, down nine per cent from the first 10 months of 2023.  The 155 people who died from drug poisoning in October is also a drop from the 183 people who died in September.

BC Coroners Service sees 'significant decline' in drug deaths, but reason unclear

Swift's daily impact on Vancouver may have exceeded 2010 Games, says industry figure

Swift's daily impact on Vancouver may have exceeded 2010 Games, says industry figure
The CEO of the B.C. Restaurant and Food Services Association, Ian Tostenson, said the shows that ended Sunday had an effect that went far beyond other concert or sporting events in the city.

Swift's daily impact on Vancouver may have exceeded 2010 Games, says industry figure

Public assistance requested to locate injured missing 21 year old Delta man

Public assistance requested to locate injured missing 21 year old Delta man
The 21-year-old male, Tajas, is described as approximately 5’9” tall and 120 lbs. He has a "significant injury," and he left a home on foot at about 3:40 this morning wearing nothing but underwear.

Public assistance requested to locate injured missing 21 year old Delta man

Richmond RCMP say fraud cases yielded in over 33M in losses

Richmond RCMP say fraud cases yielded in over 33M in losses
R-C-M-P say fraud cases in Richmond in the past year has resulted in more than 33-million-dollars in losses, and residents need to stay vigilant. Mounties say Richmond residents reported 990 cases of fraud from January to December, up slightly from 945 cases in 2023.

Richmond RCMP say fraud cases yielded in over 33M in losses

Trudeau says dealing with Trump will be "a little more challenging" than last time

Trudeau says dealing with Trump will be
Speaking at an event put on by the Halifax Chamber of Commerce, Trudeau said that's because Trump's team is coming in with a much clearer set of ideas of what they want to do right away than after his first election win in 2016.

Trudeau says dealing with Trump will be "a little more challenging" than last time

Canada Post warns no end in sight for strike after receiving latest union proposals

Canada Post warns no end in sight for strike after receiving latest union proposals
As the Canada Post strike involving more than 55,000 workers neared the end of its 25th day, the postal service warned that a speedy resolution is unlikely. In a statement Monday, Canada Post said the latest proposals from the union widen the gap between the two parties, claiming the union has in some cases increased its demands. 

Canada Post warns no end in sight for strike after receiving latest union proposals