Another Potential Devastating Wildfire Season: Experts Call for More Prevention

Harley Vliegenthart, volunteer firefighter of Denare Beach remarks “Not just my family, but over 240 families here in Denare Beach lost everything they’ve ever worked for for their entire lives.” Vliegenthart says that his village is already preparing for the future - noting that with the amount of land burned last year, the immediate risk is lower - yet it doesn’t bring a sense of security. In the midst of this, experts are starting to foresee another possible wildfire season for Saskatchewan.

Colin Laroque, professor of environmental science and head of the soil science department at the University of Saskatchewan said that the province “entered winter in a relative drought, with low soil moisture levels already in place.” Repeated periods of freezing, thawing, and rain has condensed the snow over the winter, with evaporation resulting in reduced moisture. This moisture may not be able to penetrate dry ground in the case of a warm spring. Laroque predicts that Saskatchewan's wildfire budget for next year is not nearly enough for what could happen. Last year, wildfires resulted in a $970 million dollar increase in total expenses. Laroque warns that last year’s wildfire season could plausibly be the “new normal”, as previous wildfires had only lasted for short periods, while recent ones have stretched for months at a time.

With extreme weather conditions becoming more commonplace, experts like Eric Lamb, professor in the department of plane sciences at the University of Saskatchewan are saying that more preventative measures need to be taken. Prescribed burns are one such example - the intentional use of fire ignited by experts - can reduce wildfire hazards. Though Lamb remarks that prescribed fire could not have prevented last year’s fire, it can help reduce fires in the future as well as give crews a landscape they can work with. Currently, the provincial safety agency is working with external partners to start prescribed burn projects, otherwise known as resource management fires throughout the province.

Harley Vliegenthart mentions that “The government needs to realize that severe wildfire seasons will become more common as things continue to get hotter and drier due to climate change”, stressing the importance of working together to tackle the wildfire crisis.