By Matt Simmons, The Narwhal, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
Wildfire season is never really over.
When infernos subside in one region, they begin somewhere else. As the world continues to heat up and the climate changes, forested areas like British Columbia will experience greater wildfire impacts year-round, including on the physical and mental health of frontline firefighters.
Continue reading 3 things you need to know about wildfires in BCBy Matt Simmons, The Narwhal, Local Journalism Initiative reporter
“It’s like someone turned the fire switch on and it’s just not stopping.”
That’s what wildfire ecologist Kira Hoffman told me in November, as we discussed our new wildfire reality. I can’t help but think back to that conversation today, as we watch the out-of-control blazes burn Los Angeles, putting at least 180,000 residents under evacuation orders and engulfing entire neighbourhoods in the second-largest U.S. city. It’s all happening in January, a month that should have brought some rain to southern California; instead, the region is drought-stricken and bone dry.
It points to an uncomfortable reality: we need to be thinking about wildfires year-round, and not just when fires are actively burning where we live.
Continue reading Burning out: B.C. wildfire fighters share stories from the frontlines
