BC Wildfire Service has lost its way

By Bruce Morrow, BC forester and wildfire specialist
Kamloops This Week
September 13, 2023
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

Bruce Morrow

As a lifelong resident and a professional forester in B.C. for more than three decades, with a 40-year wildfire suppression background, and previously recognized by the B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) as a wildfire specialist, I am angered by the present state of wildfire management in our province. The people of British Columbia deserve an independent review of how the BCWS manages wildfires. We need an in-depth analysis of the operations on the fireline, not another high-level report with a laundry list of recommendations that are largely ignored. The present model has proven itself totally inadequate. It has failed to effectively respond to the growing threat of wildfires. A wildfire management model that does not communicate with, organize or utilize First Nations and experienced local forest professionals is guaranteed to fail. …We will only be successful if our entire forest industry is organized and involved in wildfire management.

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