Canada Preparing for Chance of Record-Breaking Wildfire Year

Credit to Branda Sawatzky for this report: https://fftimes.com/news/district-news/canada-prepares-for-potentially-record-breaking-wildfire-year/

2023 marked an unprecedented year for wildfires. Experts say it wasn’t the number of fires burning that made it historic, but rather the size of the fires. Thanks to unrelenting heat waves throughout the spring and summer, Canada lost about 15 million hectares of vegetation to fire, seven times higher than the national average.

Human carelessness in the 2023 season proved to be the origin of many of last year’s wildfires. Affecting thousands of people, with more than 200 communities needing to evacuate residents. To assist local fire brigades, 1,700 additional firefighters were imported from across the country and another 5,500 from countries around the globe.

Since last fall, the federal government has partnered with emergency management teams to create a lessons-learned review of what was done and what could be done better. They’ve promised to set aside up to $285 million over the next five years in order to hire 1,000 more firefighters and assist communities in better handling local wildfires. Support for firefighters will be available to help purchase specialized equipment and boost training levels. The government is engaging in discussions early this year as they work on a plan to better leverage civilian response.

Since many First Nations communities exist in remote and at-risk locations, the federal government has created the Indigenous Emergency Management (EM) Working Group. Its goal is to assess the needs of Indigenous communities and create dialogue which can contribute toward preparedness.

Forests and wooded areas make up 57 percent of Manitoba’s land base, making this province as susceptible to wildfires as any other. Since matted grass and dry dead vegetation is easily ignited, this can lead to rapidly moving fires, especially in windy conditions.

Burn or travel restrictions have not yet been enforced, but the province asks residents to demonstrate extra vigilance in these conditions. Provincial burning permits are required for outdoor fires set within the burn permit area from April 1 to November 15.