When wildfires move fast, the people in their path are left with little choice but to flee. And wildfires are moving more aggressively than ever, forcing entire communities from their homes and leaving destruction in their wake. Three memorable wildfires have recently made headlines around the world for how fast they spread, how intensely they burned and the lives they claimed… Fires in Lytton B.C., Lahaina, Hawaii, and West Kelowna, B.C. …But by analyzing three factors — weather conditions, topography and fuel, or what’s known as a “fire behaviour triangle” — those who fight and study fires say they can better understand and predict the conditions that lead to these fast-moving and destructive blazes and help prepare for a future where more fire is certain. …Robert Gray, a fire ecologist, said B.C. needs to ramp up its prescribed burns. …“Our treatments need to be on the scale of the fires that we’re seeing.”
OTTAWA, ON – The Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, along with other ministers announced that more than $65 million in federal funding has been committed so far through for six agreements through the $256-million Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate – Equipment Fund. Single and multi-year agreements with Alberta, British Columbia, Nova Scotia, Saskatchewan, Northwest Territories and Yukon will support the efforts of provinces and territories to strengthen capacities and capabilities in fire management across Canada by procuring specialized wildland firefighting equipment such as fire crew trucks and personal protective equipment. British Columbia and the Northwest Territories recently signed agreements with the federal government to access the maximum available funding under this program. This will see federal contributions of over $28.5 million for the Northwest Territories and $32 million for British Columbia over five years.
OTTAWA, ON
EDMONTON — This year’s summer of fire in Western Canada has been a real test on many fronts… leaving a lot of people with the wrong kind of memories. …The fires and accompanying evacuations have also created a lot of pressure on Edmonton, and in particular for our emergency reception facility at the Expo Centre. The venue was stood up in response to three major evacuations — Drayton Valley, Edson and Yellowknife. …The centre has so far been active for 55 days and has assisted more than 12,300 evacuees. …With Edmonton situated on the edge of huge swaths of boreal forest to the west and north, and with climate change ready to serve up bigger, longer and more severe wildfire seasons, our city is going to have an increasingly common role as an evacuation hub.
As severe drought conditions have helped usher in BC’s most devastating wildfire season on record, experts and elected officials are warning of increased flooding risks and lingering damage even after wetter weather returns. More than 80 per cent of B.C.’s water basins are experiencing Level 4 or 5 drought conditions, meaning ecological and economic damage are likely or almost certain, according to the province and environmental experts. …The concurrent drought and unprecedented fire season are exacerbating one another and leaving the province increasingly vulnerable to severe flooding, according to experts. Drought kills vegetation and leaves soil exposed and hardened, said Tom Pypker (Thompson rivers University), with no root systems to help the soil absorb water when rain does fall. Those trees and vegetation are easily uprooted, said Pypker, adding that they can be carried away by heavy rains, turning into debris that can clog water systems and cause unexpected flooding. 
Port Alberni – Huu-ay-aht First Nations announces completion of an Old-Growth Interim Report that outlines the work completed to date on an Indigenous-led integrated stewardship approach to ecosystem health and biodiversity, including old-growth forests. In partnership with Huu-ay-aht Forestry Limited Partnership, C̓awak ʔqin Forestry, Mosaic Forest Management, the Old-Growth Interim Report is a step towards finalizing the Hišuk ma c̓awak Integrated Resource Management Plan (HIRMP). The HIRMP integrates a full range of values and stewardship measures across the entire Huu-ay-aht Ḥahuułi (Traditional Territory). As part of the HIRMP, the partners developed a draft design of the M̓aƛasap (to take a bite out of) Network that integrates old forests, riparian habitat, rare ecosystems, wildlife habitat and features, and cultural and traditional use areas to maintain connectivity across the Ḥahuułi. 
For years the B.C. government has faced criticism over significant gaps in legislation and policy that leave nature vulnerable to exploitation. Now, in the midst of a global biodiversity crisis, the province is developing new ways to protect species. But B.C.’s forestry watchdog says the province should make better use of the tools it already has under the Forest and Range Practices Act to stem the habitat losses driving species decline. “Although government has a range of flexible and adaptive tools, its overall approach has not achieved a reduction in the number of species at risk. Instead, many species like the northern goshawk have become more imperiled as threats to habitat availability increase,” the Forest Practices Board wrote in a recent report. The Ministry of Forests said the “government is working on a variety of initiatives related to managing habitat for species at risk.”
The upcoming Forest of Fungi event being held in the Beaver Lodge Lands on Sept. 23 will help demystify the various species of mushrooms growing amongst the trees. The event will be part of National Forest Week, a public outreach and education week held across the country to help expand people’s knowledge about forests. “This year’s theme is supporting biological diversity,” said Heather Soo from the Canadian Institute of Forestry. That theme fits nicely with Soo’s other interest: mushrooms. …Soo will also be taking part in the Cumberland Fungus Festival, which will be the week after the Campbell River event.
The forest products industry, including loggers and log haulers, primary and secondary manufacturers, pulp and paper mills, paper packing plants, and paper facilities, is one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the U.S., sustaining nearly 926,000 families and contributing $353 billion annually to the U.S. economy. The sustainability and competitive viability of the forest products industry relies on an intact, healthy wood supply chain, including labor. Mill labor shortages are limiting modernization and/or growth investments in existing and new manufacturing facilities, and our logging sector is aging (the average age of logging business owners is 55+), and many are planning to leave the business in five years. The workforce challenges are not only impacting the forest products industry. Access to a skilled workforce severely limits the US Forest Service’s ability to implement existing forest plans, achieve timber harvest commitments, and … replant forests, improve forest health, reduce the risk of wildfire, and protect communities. 
The latest attempt by the Forest Service to make logging palatable is using the terms “temporary” and “closed” roads. The implied message is that road impacts are magically eliminated if they are temporary or closed. Roads, temporary, closed, or permanent, are among the most significant effects on forest ecosystems. However, “temporary” roads and so-called “closed” roads are not the same as no road. Worse for the ecosystem, these “closed” roads are seldom rehabilitated to restore the road lens and slope. …The miles of roads are one of the factors in the growth of wildfires since most of these human ignitions occur when natural ignitions from lightning are not happening. Human ignitions started 76% of the wildfires that destroyed structures, and those fires tended to be in flammable areas where homes, commercial structures and outbuildings are increasingly common.
The state of Alaska sued President Joe Biden’s administration on Friday seeking to block its decision to reverse a policy begun under his predecessor Donald Trump that had opened vast swaths of the Tongass National Forest, the largest such wilderness in the United States, to logging and mining. The state’s lawsuit, filed in federal court in Anchorage, said the January decision by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to restore protections for 9.37 million acres (3.76 million hectares) of the southeastern Alaska forest undermines the state’s economy by prohibiting timber harvests and mining for essential minerals. The state’s lawsuit said the USDA decision was made without properly explaining its reasoning, in violation of federal law. The USDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Alaska said the protections reduce state tax revenues, increase the need for state expenditures on remote communities near the forest and prevent economic development.
A month after the Custer Gallatin National Forest supervisor approved a 15-year, 39,909-acre logging project near the western border of Yellowstone National Park, three conservation groups have filed notice they intend to sue to halt the work. The Center for Biological Diversity, Alliance for the Wild Rockies and Council on Wildlife and Fish filed the notice with the Department of Interior, Custer Gallatin National Forest and Fish and Wildlife Service on Sept. 6. In a 10-page letter, the groups argue the work is a violation of the Endangered Species Act. The groups contend the Forest Service failed to properly analyze the project’s effects on grizzly bears and lynx, harming their habitat. Both animals are listed as endangered species. …The logging, first outlined three years ago, is meant to reduce wildfire risk around the community of West Yellowstone, improve the diversity of habitat and also supply regional sawmills with lumber.
After a destructive summer in southern Europe, EU lawmakers and experts are asking the European Commission to increase forest fire prevention as current measures are proving inadequate. At a meeting, organised by the European Parliament’s Agriculture and Rural Development (AGRI) Committee, MEPs also called for more resources at the EU level to fight wildfires, despite the Commission’s announcement this summer that it would expand its fleet of Canadair aircraft. …But in addition to fire-fighting resources, efforts need to focus more on prevention …“90% of the EU budget is spent on fighting fires, while only 10% is spent on prevention. This has to change,” said German MEP Anna Deparnay-Grunenberg. …French law requires landowners to clear their forests of undergrowth and gives local authorities the right to pre-empt land if it is not managed correctly… and increases penalties for arsonists and bans smoking in and within 200 metres of forests.