Although the fires that ravaged Slave Lake, Alta. are now under control, it goes without saying that the town and its people will never be the same. More than one third of Slave Lake was burned to the ground, and many residents are still waiting to return to their former homes to see what they can salvage.
The tragic situation makes salient the dangers of forest fires, and in particular the dangers of urban interface fires - those fires that occur at the point where the wilderness and urban development meet. Such fires represent significant threats to human welfare, and typically require multiagency response, including local police, fire and ambulance services, as well as the B.C. Forest Service and the Provincial Emergency Program.
And while recent attention has been focused on Slave Lake, such fires are also common in British Columbia given the number of subdivisions and developments in forested areas. This means we ought to be particularly vigilant about interface fires, and since interface fires constitute a form of forest fire, it means we must commit to preventing forest fires.
Despite various provincial efforts to prevent and manage fires, forest fires continue to present significant threats in B.C. Over the past 10 years, the province has experienced an average of 1,800 fires a year, burning an average of 75,000 hectares of land and costing an average of $109 million a year.
To see how quickly things can run out of control, consider this: On Aug. 18, 2010, The Vancouver Sun published an editorial saying that while the fire situation didn't look too bad, "it could still get a lot worse." On that very day - Aug. 18 - a strong wind ran through the Interior, and nearly 100,000 hectares were burned in just 24 hours.
Consequently, 2010 saw a total of 330,000 hectares burned, about four times the average, and significantly more than that burned in 2003, which is often regarded as the worst fire season on record. The 2010 fires cost an estimated $220 million, making the season the third most costly in history.
About half of these fires are inevitable, given that they're caused by lightning. But the other half are human caused, which means that they are wholly preventable. And if we're to reduce the risks of experiencing a fire like the one that ravaged Slave Lake, we must take all steps necessary to prevent forest fires.
One of the leading causes of forest fires, and one that is entirely preventable, is the careless use of campfires. The Ministry of Forests and Range recommends that campers remove all flammable material before building a fire, and ensure the fire is contained in a fire pit surrounded by a ring of rocks. Campers should never leave a fire unattended and should always douse it with water before sleeping or leaving the area.
In 2010, the ministry amended campfire regulations, which cut in half the maximum allowable size of campfires. Fires must now measure at most 0.5 metres by 0.5 metres, or about a foot-and-a-half by a foot-and-a-half. Campers must also have a tool, such as a shovel and at least eight litres of water on hand, to douse the fire. These regulations apply to both public and private campsites.
Another wholly preventable cause of forest fires is careless smoking, which experts believe causes about 10 per cent of fires. Smoking in forests is an obvious danger, but less obvious is the practice of throwing cigarettes out of car windows, where they can start fires on the sides of roads, ultimately leading to forest fires.
Homeowners can also cause fires by burning leaves or other refuse, particularly when it's windy enough to blow ashes and combustible material around. And this is of particular concern to people who live in forested areas, since it can lead to an interface fire. Homeowners should ensure they have enough tools, water and people around to control an outbreak. They should also be sure to keep dangerous materials away from children.
And above all, homeowners, campers and everyone else should know how to prevent fires and should put that knowledge into practice. For while some fires are inevitable, many are preventable, and so too is loss of the human life and property that all too often accompanies them.
The Vancouver Sun
