Experts caution that it is only a matter of time before another wildfire, like the one that erupted in Fort McMurray last year, ravages another community.
The fire that occurred in Fort McMurray – as well as smaller incidents in recent years that erupted in Kelowna, Slave Lake, La Ronge, and Timmins – could be precursors to an even deadlier and costlier conflagration.
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“These were not one-offs. It is not a fluke,” University of Alberta wildland fire professor Mike Flannigan told
CBC. “It is going to happen again.”
Natural Resources Canada warned that climate change is anticipated to exacerbate forest fire conditions. According to estimates by the bureau, the total area burned by wildfire could double by the end of the century, compared with recent decades.
The Canadian Forest Service added that a warming climate has already made forests in much of the country much drier than they used to be, and as temperatures rise so will the risk of wildfires.
“The expectation is it will grow in the coming years,” Canadian Forest Service research scientist Sylvie Gauthier said. “For a large portion of the boreal forest the fire season is also projected to be longer.”
It is not just a warming climate that experts are worried about, but also the increase in the number of people who are choosing to live, work, and play in forested areas. Next to lightning, man-made fires are the second most common cause of wildfires.
Although the government spends millions of dollars each year to respond to wildfires and help pay for damages, the
Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) is calling for officials to adopt a strategy of prevention rather than of compensation.
“Awareness is critical and at this point it is exceptionally low,” commented IBC vice-president Bill Adams. “Unless we have a much higher level of awareness around this risk — and prudent investments and action taken by federal and provincial governments and individual citizens — it is likely that we will have another major damaging fire.”
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Fort McMurray wildfire one year on: sobering lessons for insurance
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