Climate change is one of the key factors contributing to the world’s inability to prevent and manage forest fires effectively. Rising temperatures, droughts, and extreme weather conditions have created a more favorable environment for forest fires to occur and spread. In addition, the increase in human activity in forested areas, such as logging and recreational activities, has also contributed to the frequency and severity of forest fires. It’s a constant feedback loop. As climate change worsens, more fires across the continent release the same planet-heating carbon and methane, inducing the climate crisis, the impacts of which are felt everywhere.
Spring comes weeks earlier, and fall comes weeks later, resulting in more time for grasslands to burn, according to Edward Struzik, a fellow at Queen’s Institute for Energy and Environmental Policy at Queen’s University in Canada.
There has yet to be a specific study recognizing the degree of climate change that caused the ongoing Canadian wildfires. But several scientists said the record heat in Quebec, Nova Scotia, and Alberta, along with drought in Canada’s Atlantic region, likely assisted the underlying situations for the blazes.
Determining the effect of climate change on a single fire season is difficult. Atlantic Canada has been much hotter than usual, and scientists foresee a continued temperature increase in the region in the coming years.
The coastal territories anticipate more rain because of climate change which will lessen the risk of wildfires. But, a warmer condition is more efficient at drawing condensation out of soils, which boosts fire risk.
What Is Causing the Wildfire?
Forest fires are a natural part of Canada’s ecosystem, but in recent years, they have become more frequent and severe, causing significant damage to the environment, economy, and public safety. While wildfires are a natural occurrence, there is growing concern that climate change is making them more frequent and severe. Scientists found that fire seasons are getting more prolonged and intense due to the climate crisis.
This month, Canada’s wildfire season starts with more than 400 active fires, with blazes ravaging much of the country and creating hazardous smoke that travels south, prompting air quality alerts in the U.S.
After the smoke reached New York, an unhealthy haze blanketed Washington, D.C., prompting many residents to stay indoors.
Altered rainfall patterns and extra heat are causing a long-term change in fire behavior. Wildfires also result from complex factors involving short-term weather and longer-term climate patterns, the type of forests involved, and what people are doing to them. And they all need something to spark them off.
OPINION: Wildfires aren’t getting worse because of climate change. The real culprit will surprise you https://t.co/VBWCmg0uRO
— Fox News (@FoxNews) June 13, 2023
What Role Is Climate Change Playing in Wildfires?
While some argue that wildfires are a natural occurrence and that climate change is not a significant factor, the overwhelming scientific consensus is that climate change contributes to the severity and frequency of wildfires. While other factors, such as forest management practices and human activity, can also play a role in wildfires, the evidence suggests that climate change is a significant contributing factor.
Widespread spring fires across Canada are also unusual, with fire season getting longer. The evidence is clear: climate change contributes to the severity and frequency of wildfires in Canada. Wildfires will likely become more frequent and severe as temperatures rise and weather patterns become more extreme. People must take action to mitigate the effects of climate change and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
According to Professor Joel Thornton of the University of Washington Department of Atmospheric Sciences, a warming planet will create hotter and longer heatwaves, causing more extensive, smokier fires.
Inadequate Funding for Fire Management
Another challenge Canada faces is inadequate funding for fire management and shrinking capacity to prevent wildfires for decades. Despite the increasing number of forest fires, the budget for fire management has remained relatively stagnant, resulting in a need for more resources and personnel to prevent and manage forest fires effectively. In addition, the technologies and equipment used for fire management often need to be updated and equipped to handle the scale and severity of modern-day forest fires.
Researchers have been looking at how Canadian forestry policies shifted away from traditional and indigenous techniques of scheduled burning, which protect people and valuable timber resources. Periodic, controlled burning removes the forest understory and lessens the risk of larger fires reeling out of control, but this has been stopped in much of the country.
During the 2021 wildfire season, British Columbia spent about $601 million fighting forest fires, wiping out Lytton’s town. But the current province’s wildfire prevention budget is just 32 million dollars annually.
Wildfire emergency response management is handled by each of the ten provinces and three territories in Canada. Still, hundreds of nationwide fires have depleted local resources and continued calls for a national firefighting service.
People Need to Be Prepared for the Worse
Individuals can take action by reducing their carbon footprint, supporting renewable energy, and advocating for local, national, and international climate policies to help protect communities and the planet from the devastating effects of climate change.
There is a conspiracy theory circulating online that eco-terrorists sparked some of the fires trying to dramatically draw public attention to climate change or to force through a restrictive climate agenda.
Police are still investigating some of these incidents. But, researchers say there is no evidence that these are the leading cause of wildfires. According to Hoffman’s notes, lightning strikes are causing half of the wildfires across Canada. On June 1, 2023, lightning strikes sparked about 200 fires in Quebec.
Written by Janet Grace Ortigas
Sources:
The New York Times: Canada’s Ability to Prevent Forest Fires Lags Behind the Need; by Vjosa Isai and Ian Austen
The Guardian: A visual guide to the Canada wildfires and U.S. smoke pollution
BBC: Did climate change Canada’s wildfires?; by Isabella Kaminski
CBS News: How did the Canadian wildfires start? What’s causing the fires that covered the East Coast in smoke; by Cara Korte
Featured and Top Image by Pierre Markuse Courtesy of Wikimedia – Creative Commons License
Inset Image by Matt Palmer Courtesy of Unsplash
