Daily News for September 08, 2026

Today’s Takeaway

Canada’s retaliatory tariffs take effect as US trade rift deepens

The Tree Frog Forestry News
September 8, 2026
Category: Today's Takeaway

Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on $27.6 billion of US goods took effect today, as Prime Minister Carney warns of tough times ahead. In related news: President Trump threatens Bombardier and the Canadian dollar; Canadian small businesses weigh the cost of shipping south; Kim Haakstad speaks to how Canada can help; while looks to Forest Economic Advisors to find new markets. In other Business news: BC appoints negotiators to keep the Howe Sound Pulp and Paper mill open; Brink Forest Products cuts 50 lumber jobs in Prince George; and the Coosa Pines pulp mill closure could cost Alabama $7B.

In Forestry/Wildfire news: a Canadian study says fast moving wildfires are more harmful; BC’s wildfire salvage rate sparks debate; BC reduces TFL 30’s harvest rate 17.6%; a Washington judge halts expanded forest buffers; Washington moves to boost salvage logging; and Australia is already on alert as El Nino impacts Europe. Meanwhile: mass timber gains momentum in Washington; Europe looks to timber for affordable housing; and EU researchers develop a flame-retardant lignin resin.

Finally, the deadliest forest fires in American history, and wildfire updates from Oregon; California; Greece; France; and Borneo.

Kelly McCloskey, Tree Frog News Editor

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Business & Politics

Carney warns of tough times ahead in national address as retaliatory tariffs kick in

By Nick Murray
The Canadian Press in Bloomberg
September 8, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Mark Carney

OTTAWA — Prime Minister Carney is warning Canadians that the country’s pivot away from the United States will come at a cost, but that the alternative would be far worse. In a national video address set to be released after Canada’s retaliatory tariffs kicked in — Carney reiterated Canada’s plan to respond to the US trade war by striking new trade deals with other countries to become less reliant on the US. …“That pivot will come at a cost. There’s always a cost to action. But it doesn’t come close to the cost of standing still.” …Carney said the aim is to come out stronger and more resilient so “no country can ever hold us hostage, and that we can live how we want to live.” …Federal conservatives continued calls over the weekend for Carney to release the full details of the deal Canada walked away from. [Click here to view video]

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Canada’s retaliatory tariffs worth $27.6 billion take effect as trade rift with U.S. deepens

By Jenni Reid
CNBC News
September 8, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, United States

Canada’s retaliatory tariffs on a swathe of U.S. goods took effect on Tuesday after trade talks collapsed last month, as relations between Washington and Ottawa continue to sour. The duties range from 15% to 50% across hundreds of U.S. products worth a total $27.6 billion, including dairy, agricultural equipment, paper, household appliances and electronics. Canadian tariffs on U.S. steel, aluminum and iron products doubled to 50%, while furniture, motorbikes, clothing and some beauty products were among the goods hit with the highest rate. …U.S. President Trump on Monday called for a boycott of Canadian airplane manufacturer Bombardier, posting on Truth Social: “NO MORE SELLING BOMBARDIER IN THE UNITED STATES!” The U.S. exported $333.6 billion worth of goods to Canada, and imported $381.9 billion from its northern neighbor. …Economists say that while the impacted goods are a relatively small portion of overall trade, small- to medium-sized businesses and those in the most-impacted sectors face a severe blow.

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Ottawa engages Forest Economic Advisors LLC to find five new markets for Canadian softwood lumber

The Western Standard
September 5, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada

Ottawa will pay BC consultant Forest Economics Advisors LLC of Port Coquitlam, $84,000 to identify five countries that could buy more Canadian softwood lumber, nearly a year after Prime Minister Carney announced a $1.2 billion plan to diversify the industry away from the US market. …The consultant will be tasked with estimating how much Canadian lumber could realistically be sold in each prospective market and how quickly exports could grow. The study will also examine demand forecasts, international trade patterns and transportation costs. Natural Resources additionally wants the consultant to calculate how much money Canadian sawmills would have to spend retooling their facilities to manufacture products suitable for the identified markets. “The department is seeking a comprehensive analysis that identifies likely offshore growth markets for softwood lumber demand and evaluates Canada’s ability to compete in and sell to those markets,” said the contract notice. The final report is due Jan. 29.

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Kim Haakstad – Softwood lumber, Canadian Jobs and the Canada USA Trade War

By The Christy Clark Show
You Tube
September 6, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

Christy Clark takes a deep dive into the raging Canada-U.S. trade war with Kim Haakstad, President of the B.C. Council of Forest Industries. Haakstad has been on the front line of U.S. trade negotiations in Washington D.C. recently representing the forestry sector. She has a lot to share about protecting the future of our resource economy in this uncertain time. Haakstad has worked tirelessly in advocating for economic growth in western Canada for the past 30 years. She notes that even before U.S. President Donald Trump came along, tariff threats have been a common feature with our No. 1 trade partner. But B.C. lumber products are unique and preferred by American homebuilders, so why are they treated as competitors only to drive up prices for regular homebuyers. Haakstad also tells Christy there’s a lot more Canada can be doing to help resource industries succeed, including sensible regulation and conservation policy.

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Negotiators to work with Domtar on potentially keeping Howe Sound mill open

By Sandra Thomas
The Coast Reporter
September 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

It’s early days, but MLA Randene Neill says there is some “encouraging” news regarding the “indefinite idle” of the Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Mill and Bayview Fibre chipping facility in Port Mellon. “We have appointed two negotiators from the province and [mill owner] Domtar has accepted our offer of getting back to the table to see what we can do to save the mill and all of the jobs that depend on it,” Neill said. …The negotiators include Don Wright, who has served as the province’s deputy minister to the premier, cabinet secretary, and head of public service for years. …Don Kayne has also been named as negotiator. Kayne is the former president and CEO of Canfor. “These two are incredibly smart people and we’re confident that their experience and knowledge of the forest sector will support really good discussions with the Domtar team,” said Neill, MLA for Powell River – Sunshine Coast. “

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Brink Forest Products to cut 50 jobs at its Prince George lumber plant

By Hanna Petersen
CBC News
September 5, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada West

PRINCE GEORGE, BC — John Brink, CEO of Brink Forest Products, announced he will be cutting the number of employees from 85 workers to approximately 30 at his Prince George finger-joint lumber plant starting next week. …In the last year, Brink’s facilities in both Vanderhoof and Houston indefinitely ceased operations, resulting in more than 100 jobs lost. Between the three plants, Brink employed roughly 400 people. “In northern BC, it is a graveyard of sawmills through the communities,” he said. “Secondary manufacturers, in a lot of cases, rely on primary manufacturers for an input of fibre.” Brink says his company is not only navigating ongoing fibre supply challenges, but rising U.S. tariff costs, and limited access to financing. …As Canada is set to impose retaliatory tariffs on a number of products from the US, Brink expects costs to continue to rise. “Parts and pieces that we need imported from the US may be subject to duties.”

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Tariffs have some mom-and-pop manufacturers considering move to United States

By Brett Bundale
The Canadian Press in CTV News
September 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada, Canada East

A Canadian Muskoka chair maker hit hard by US tariffs is considering moving the bulk of its manufacturing to the United States. DFC Woodworks has been making outdoor wooden patio furniture including Muskoka chairs — also called Adirondack chairs — since 1955. The Kemptville, Ontario company exports about 70% of its furniture to the US, but those goods are now subject to a steep 50% US duty. …DFC Woodworks president François Bruneau said “If we raise prices, it will make us non-competitive and sales will go down. If we don’t, the tariffs will sink us.” The Muskoka chair maker’s dilemma illustrates the challenges facing many Canadian small- and medium-sized enterprises, said Fen Hampson at Carleton University. DFC Woodworks makes all its outdoor patio furniture in Ontario using BC western red cedar and eastern select pine. …DFC Woodworks has diversified in recent years, growing sales to Europe with plans to export to Japan.

Related coverage in:

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How a Pulp Mill Closure Could Cost Rural Alabama $7 Billion

By Ryan Dezember
The Wall Street Journal
September 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: United States, US East

ALABAMA — The economic loss in the region around a pulp mill that closed in Alabama this spring could reach nearly $7 billion, according to a new study circulating around Southern statehouses and D.C. The Coosa Pines mill was relatively small compared with the containerboard mills that have shuttered throughout the pine belt and left timber growers without buyers for much of their wood. Forester Tom Richardson and Larry Wall, a financial adviser, crunched the numbers to show how economic losses extend beyond the more than 250 mill workers who lost jobs. …The bulk of the monetary loss is the mills’ direct economic impact over 10 years, but they also tallied losses in a region encompassing about a million acres southeast of Birmingham from which the mill had sourced wood. …They added the impact to loggers making fewer, longer trips to more distant mills. [to access the full story a WSJ subscription is required]

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In Memoriam

Remembering Winthrop N. Smith: December 25, 1933 – August 30, 2026

Hobbs Funeral Home
September 8, 2026
Category: In Memoriam
Region: US East

Win Smith

Scarborough-Winthrop Noel Smith, 92, passed away peacefully at Gosnell Memorial Hospice House on August 30, 2026, surrounded by his loving family. Win was born on Christmas Day, 1933, in Paris, France to parents Elinore McLane Smith of Baltimore, Maryland and James Hopkins Smith of Portland, Maine. …After his discharge from the army, he entered the lumber industry in sales for his brother in-law’s retail lumber company, Rufus Deering. Feeling an entrepreneurial pull, he decided to venture out on his own and lease a mill in Limington, Maine in 1961, establishing Limington Lumber Company. …In 1967, Win purchased a new mill site in East Baldwin, Maine, where he built, owned, and operated a successful and respected lumber manufacturing company for over forty years… Win was a past president of the New England Lumbermen’s Association (NELA), a director of the Maine Forest Products Council (MFPC), and a director of Northeastern Lumber Manufacturers Association (NELMA).

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Finance & Economics

B.C. Unemployment Climbes to 6.5% as Forestry, Construction and Education Shed Jobs

By Julie Bergeron
By Business Examiner
September 6, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: Canada, Canada West

Statistics Canada’s August Labour Force Survey showed British Columbia shed a net 5,500 positions last month, lifting the provincial unemployment rate to 6.5 per cent from 6.2 per cent in July. The result places B.C. 0.1 percentage points above the national average, even as Canada as a whole lost a net 42,000 jobs during the same period. Bryan Yu, chief economist at Central 1 Credit Union, attributed the losses to two sustained pressures: a prolonged absence of meaningful private-sector investment growth and a shrinking population as temporary residents depart following federal immigration policy changes. Educational services accounted for the steepest single-sector decline, with roughly 6,300 positions lost. …Construction and retail and wholesale trade each recorded significant losses as well, with the latter shedding approximately 3,800 jobs. …Natural resources lost 2,600 jobs provincially and continued to record the largest year-over-year contraction at 17.2%, driven by mill closures and curtailments across the province.

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U.S. Economy Adds 162,000 Jobs in August

By Jing Fu
NAHB Eye on Housing
September 4, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

The U.S. labor market rebounded in August, with nonfarm payrolls increasing by 162,000 and upward revisions adding 55,000 jobs to June and July. The unemployment rate held steady at 4.1%, as both employment and the labor force participation rate rose over the month. August’s gain leaves just five outright monthly declines in payrolls over the past year and a half, with the most recent occurring in February. While the strength reported for the labor market is positive, today’s data increases the probability of a Federal Reserve rate hike in the near future. Wage growth continued to cool, with average hourly earnings rising 3.1% year over year in August, down from 3.2% in July and marking the slowest pace of 2026. Average hourly earnings reached $37.75. Meanwhile, a recent sharp increase in energy and gasoline prices, driven by conflicts in the Middle East, has pushed inflation higher even as wage growth has slowed.

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To build in America, developers need to navigate the trade war

By Irene Galea
The Globe and Mail
September 7, 2026
Category: Finance & Economics
Region: United States

WASHINGTON, D.C. — West of the US Capitol Building, all that remains of a 50,000-seat football stadium are a few old signs and a dusty field full of gravel. …The site is now awaiting a new, US$3.7-billion stadium due for completion in 2030, with the surrounding parking lots later to be transformed into 5,500 housing units, commercial spaces and a new road system. But to give the NFL’s Washington Commanders a new home, the stadium’s developers will need to navigate a difficult construction environment that has slowed building across the US, one marked by rising material costs linked to tariffs, as well as fluctuating oil prices and a tight labour market. …“Just recently, we added a clause to our contracts about escalation of material costs,” said Justin Holtzman of Artisanal Builders, a general contractor, which works in Virginia and Washington. …Given the trade war with Canada, “we have to protect against that risk.” [Full story access requires a Globe and Mail subscription]

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Wood, Paper & Green Building

Upskill Employees in Industrial Wood Processing & Sawmilling

British Columbia Institute of Technology
August 14, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: Canada West

Are you looking to enhance your skills in the lumber and sawmill sector? Onboarding new employees that would benefit from formal education in the field? Are you seeking to provide your employees with essential business skills for professional development? BCIT is currently offering two Associate Certificates to help you: Industrial Wood Processing (IWP) and Business of Sawmilling (BOS). Both programs were developed with industry subject matter experts and informed by industry leaders to support upskilling and professional development for individuals in the lumber and sawmill sector. Each program is 1-year, delivered online and part-time to allow students to balance work and studies. The participants are new or existing employees in the North American lumber sector and are sponsored by their employers.

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The Return of Wood: Mass timber, an innovation in construction, is changing architecture in Washington and beyond

By Lauren Gallow
The Seattle Times
September 5, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: United States, US West

SEATTLE — Architect Susan Jones says …“For most of the 20th century, the architecture community has been separated from the origins of the materials we build with”. …Jones, along with a growing chorus of architects, engineers and forestry experts in Seattle and beyond, believes building with wood is better for our cities, and for our forests. …Mass timber buildings offer a more sustainable path forward. Steel and concrete release large amounts of greenhouse gases. …Erica Spiritos at the Washington Mass Timber Accelerator, promotes mass timber construction and research in the state. The organization recently helped get mass timber recognized in Washington’s 2025 Comprehensive Climate Action Plan, which sets out a road map for the state to cut greenhouse gas emissions while stimulating the economy. Today, Spiritos is focusing on the potential of mass timber for schools and is trying to make it easier for districts to use the material.

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Lignin resin delivers flame retardancy without formaldehyde

European Coatings
September 8, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Researchers have developed a phosphorus-free and formaldehyde-free lignin-derived phenolic resin that combines intrinsic flame retardancy, robust adhesion and effective fire protection when applied as a coating on wood. The material offers a sustainable alternative to conventional petroleum-based phenolic resins. Conventional petroleum-derived phenolic resins face growing scrutiny due to sustainability concerns, inherent flammability and limited adhesion durability. In response, a recent study introduces a lignin-derived phenolic resin, designated SALG-PR, that is both phosphorus-free and formaldehyde-free. The material …delivers a fully bio-based network with multifunctional performance. The resin exhibits notable intrinsic flame retardancy, reaching a UL-94 V-0 rating and a limiting oxygen index (LOI) of 62.4 %, values comparable to established petroleum-based resins and to previously reported bio-based flame-retardant materials. Direct exposure to a butane torch for 300 s did not lead to burn-through, and infrared thermography confirmed effective localisation of heat within the flame-impinged region, indicating a strong barrier effect.

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The Big Question: Is timber the secret to affordable housing in Europe?

By Hannah Brown & Angela Barnes
Euronews
September 7, 2026
Category: Wood, Paper & Green Building
Region: International

Subhra Bhattacharjee

Europe is scaling up its timber industry, but unsustainable growth could prove disastrous. According to the European Commission, the construction sector is responsible for over 35% of the EU’s total waste generation. …Dr. Bhattacharjee, director general of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) joined Angela Barnes to discuss whether Europe can scale up its sustainable timber industry and achieve its construction goals. With deadlines looming and environmental policy tightening, a clear shift towards the use of timber is under way in Europe …“There need not be a quality compromise, because recent innovations in engineered wood creates stronger and more versatile structures,” Subhra explained. And Subhra is confident it’s only going to get better as innovation continues. …“What would be an ideal scenario would be low-carbon cement, recycled steel and construction timber complementing in bringing down the carbon footprint of the entire sector and contributing to low-cost housing that is needed.”

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Forestry

Fast-moving wildfires reshaping B.C.’s forests, new study finds

By Nathan Griffiths
Victoria Times Colonist
September 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Ellen Whitman

New research suggests that fast-moving wildfires, such as the Bald Range blaze near Summerland that forced recent evacuations, are burning bigger and leaving ­forests less able to grow back to their ­pre-burn state. The study analyzed nearly 3,500 fires across Canada and the western U.S. between 2012 and 2023. Researchers used satellite data to track how quickly fires spread each day. They found the fastest-moving fires burned more severely, killed more trees and made it more difficult for forests to regenerate. “It’s not necessarily incredibly surprising that fast-moving fires are responsible for the largest area burned. But we now also show that they have pretty outsized ecological impacts as well,” said Ellen ­Whitman, one of the study authors. Those impacts can range from changing the tree makeup of a forest, “something we have been seeing quite a lot in the northwestern boreal,” Whitman said, to no tree regeneration at all, a result Whitman called “pretty extreme.”

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B.C. wildfire salvage rate sparks debate over how much burned timber should be recovered

By Tchadas Leo
Chek News
September 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

As B.C. recovers from another intense wildfire season, debate is growing over how much and how quickly timber from burned forests can, and should be recovered. B.C. Conservative Party MLA and forestry critic Ward Stamer says the province is moving too slowly and leaving too much valuable timber behind. …The province says that, on average, about five per cent of timber in wildfire-impacted areas is currently being salvaged. Stamer wants that rate to rise to 25 per cent and says the province should make better use of existing roads and infrastructure to improve access. …B.C. Forestry Minister Ravi Parmar says a 25 per cent salvage rate isn’t realistic, pointing to challenges including access, operability and safety. Stamer disputes that argument. …Stamer says the province could be doing more to get additional burned timber to market. A study from Université Laval found that fire-affected wood can split and is vulnerable to insects and fungal attacks.

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Setting new harvest level in Omineca region

By the Ministry of Forests
Government of British Columbia
September 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

B.C.’s deputy chief forester has determined the new allowable annual cut (AAC), the maximum amount of timber that can be harvested each year, for Tree Farm Licence (TFL) 30 in the Omineca region. The new AAC, which takes effect Friday, Sept. 4, 2026, is 340,000 cubic metres, a 17.6% reduction from the previous AAC. The deputy chief forester considered changes that have affected the amount of timber that can be sustainably harvested since the previous review. It includes the need to retain more trees for wildlife habitat, protect riparian areas and conserve rare ecosystems. TFL 30 overlaps the territory of the following First Nations: Lheidli T’enneh Nation; McLeod Lake Indian Band; West Moberly First Nations; and Tsay Keh Dene Nation. The determination considered issues raised by First Nations, including maintaining habitat for moose and protecting streams, riparian areas and fish habitat.

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Cathedral Grove winner of The Search for B.C.’s Best Roadside Attraction

By Sophie Woodrooffe
CBC News
September 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Back in 1979 the narrow parking spaces were there, as were the trees. And so was Bill Beese. He was 23 at the time, working as a summer student for the forestry giant MacMillan Bloedel. And while he couldn’t conduct his field work inside the provincial park, his boss said he and the other students should stop there anyway. Just to look. Or rather, look up. “We were just awestruck,” said Beese. …”The name Cathedral Grove is very apt.” Nearly 50 years later, Beese is one of the thousands of voters who helped Cathedral Grove beat 31 challengers over the CBC’s five-week competition to determine the top thing people like to get out of their cars and look, or look up at. “It is literally a roadside attraction. The highway goes right through this magnificent old-growth forest. And it’s very unique,” said Beese, who, as a forest ecologist and retired Vancouver Island University forestry professor, admits bias. 

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‘Not us’: Walbran activist condemns tree spiking

By Roxanne Egan-Elliott
Victoria Times Colonist
September 6, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

People embedding metal spikes in trees in the Walbran Valley area are not associated with an activist group trying to stop old-growth logging, a member of the Walbran Watchdogs says. The tree spikes were identified in a B.C. Supreme Court ruling as an example of the “irreparable harm” suffered by Tsawak-qin Forestry Limited Partnership, which has rights to log in the area. The ruling extended an injunction against blocking roads and impeding logging in the area. The injunction had been set to expire on Sept. 13, but was extended to the end of January 2028. In an August ruling, Justice H. William Veenstra found that hundreds of trees had been spiked in the area, leading to damaged logging equipment and the potential for “significant risk of injury or death” to fallers and sawmill workers. 

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BC Timber Sales holding open house on controversial Mt. Rose Swanson logging plans

By Brendan Shykora
Summerland Review
September 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada, Canada West

BC Timber Sales (BCTS) is holding an open house in Spallumcheen next week regarding its controversial proposal to harvest trees on Mount Rose Swanson, a popular recreation area in the community. The open house will take place at the Township of Spallumcheen Municipal Hall Thursday, Sept. 10. …The provincial agency that manages 20% of BC’s public timber harvest is proposing a new cut block and road development in its Rose Swanson operating area, located within the Okanagan-Shuswap natural resource districts. The planned timber licence would cover 35.7 hectares, spread over 15 smaller patches ranging from one to 4.3-ha openings. About 14,500 cubic metres of timber would be harvested, with an estimated 95 per cent of the areas’ deciduous aspen and cottonwood trees left standing. …The proposed cut block and logging road has drawn criticism since it was made public several years ago. …An online petition to halt logging on the mountain received 24,000 signatures.

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Quebec wildfire smoke left forest moths with deformed wings, Concordia research finds

By Patrick Lejtenyi
Concordia University
September 8, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Over the course of the summer of 2023, Quebec experienced its worst wildfire season on record. By its end, some 4.5 million hectares of the province’s boreal forest were burned. While the effects of the toxic smoke on humans have been thoroughly studied, our knowledge of the impact on local fauna — including insects — is lacking. A new study led by Concordia researchers is among the first to look at how exposure to wildfire smoke affects the development of lepidoptera: the order of winged insects that includes moths and butterflies. The paper… shows that smoke exposure during larval development caused significantly higher rates of wing deformities in spruce budworm and forest tent caterpillar moths, two species that periodically strip the leaves off millions of hectares of Canadian forest when the insects’ populations boom. …Smoke-exposed spruce budworm moths were twice as likely to develop wings that the researchers classified as folded, crumpled or missing. 

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Vince Rutter says under-harvesting is adding fuel to the fire

By Graham Strong
Northern Ontario Business
September 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada East

Vince Rutter

Vince Rutter wants to get people thinking about fire in Northern Ontario forests. Forest fires are the result of a complex, intertwined set of issues. Rutter believes the solutions are intertwined, including sourcing energy from our forests and changing our negative attitudes about cutting down trees. Rutter has been deeply connected with forests in northwestern Ontario for about 30 years … he moved to Thunder Bay in 1996 to take the forestry program at Lakehead University. …Rutter said that harvesting and burning wood for energy doesn’t release any more CO2 than would be released after the tree died anyway. Besides, filters and controlled burning means the process can be more environmentally friendly. So why don’t we rely upon wood energy more? …“Canadians are scared to work the forests,” Rutter said. “We’re harvesting about half of our annual allowable cut. The other half is accumulating — dying and rotting, or catching on fire.”

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State looks to boost salvage logging as wildfires scorch record amount of Washington lands

By Aspen Ford
Yakima Herald-Republic
September 5, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

Don’t let the rain fool you. Summer wildfires burning through Washington just broke another record. They’ve scorched more than 886,000 acres. Of those, 93,000 acres are on state trust land, marking the record for the largest amount of state-managed land burned by fires in a season since recordkeeping began in 2000. Two-thirds of that state land was forests, meaning a hit to revenue from timber sales. Money from logging on Washington’s public land helps pay for schools and other parts of state and local government. Officials are now racing to sell the charred timber before it molds or becomes even less valuable. The state’s Board of Natural Resources this week voted to allow the Department of Natural Resources to sell more burned forestland without board approval. Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove touted it as a strategy to “maximize value to the trust.”

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California’s wild forests need protection — not more roads

By Woody Smeck, 32 years with the National Park Service
San Luis Obispo Tribune
September 6, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: US West

California’s national forests contain some of the last truly wild landscapes in the American West. They protect drinking water, provide critical wildlife habitat, support recreation economies and give millions of people the chance to experience nature on its own terms. Today, those landscapes face a serious threat. The U.S. Forest Service is considering changes to its forest management rules that could weaken protections for roadless areas and expand motorized access across public lands. These may sound like technical regulatory changes, but they could open some of the most ecologically important and undeveloped parts of California’s national forests to new roads and motorized use. During 32 years with the National Park Service, including as superintendent of Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and later as a regional manager overseeing parks across California and Nevada, I learned an important lesson: Once roads and motorized vehicles enter wild country, their impacts extend far beyond the road corridor itself.

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Judge halts Washington forest buffer rule for timberlands

By Don Jenkins
The Capital Press
September 4, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: United States, US West

A Thurston County, Washington, judge stayed a rule requiring larger riparian buffers on Western Washington timberland, putting on hold a regulation that would take 200,000 acres out of production. Superior Court Judge Christine Schaller on Sept. 3 granted a motion by two timber groups to stay the rule while they challenged the bigger buffers in the Court of Appeals Division II. The timber groups argue the expanded buffers will have negligible environmental benefits, while causing financial hardship to timberland owners and rural economies. …Schaller in August upheld the bigger buffers, saying she found no grounds to overrule the Forest Practices Board. The judge, however, acknowledged that the larger buffers will cause financial hardship and that the appeals court will review her decision. …The board adopted the bigger buffers in a 7-5 vote last year. The Washington Forest Protection Association and Washington Farm Forestry Association are challenging the buffers.

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Australia braces for its own fire season after sweltering European summer

By Stefica Bikesh
Reuters
September 7, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: International

CLARENCE TOWN, Australia — Australian firefighters say they are on alert as temperatures in the southern ​hemisphere begin to pick up, following a devastating fire season ‌in Europe. Australia is already experiencing a strong El Nino weather event that typically brings with it hotter, drier weather, and an increased risk of wildfires. “We’re concerned this year ​that we’ll see increased fire risk (versus) prior years,” said Trent Curtin, ​head of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service, the ⁠world’s largest volunteer firefighting force.  Large parts of Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent, ​endured sweltering summers, leaving vegetation tinder-dry and fuelling severe wildfires. …Australia has a ​long history of fighting wildfires, including the 2019 to 2020 Black Summer blazes that ‌destroyed ⁠an area the size of Turkey and killed 33 people. …“For this year we’re ​alert but not alarmed,” said Alex Capararo, a sector commander for ​the Forestry ⁠Corporation of New South Wales.

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Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy

Climate change could increase pest and disease damage across North American forests

By Demetra Maragos
CTV News
September 4, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: Canada, United States

New research suggests climate change could leave Canada’s forests increasingly vulnerable to pests and disease in the coming decades, while a federal climate report projects a sharp increase in the area burned by wildfires across the country. A federal government report warns average temperatures in Canada could rise by at least 3.5 C by the end of the century, even if the world achieves net-zero greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, researchers at the University of British Columbia say climate change is expected to increase pest and disease damage across much of North America’s forests. The UBC study found more than 80 per cent of the forest area examined could experience higher levels of damage by the middle of the century. “Climate can influence the performance of both trees and the pests,” said Dr. Zihui Wang, a researcher in UBC’s Department of Botany.

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CelCo Conference — The Cornerstone of your Fall Strategy

CelCo Cellulose Consulting
September 8, 2026
Category: Carbon, Climate & Bioenergy
Region: International

Summer is winding down, vacations are ending, and the familiar September routine is kicking back into gear. As calendars begin to fill and priorities shift toward year-end planning, now is the perfect time to map out your business activities for the months ahead. One event should be at the top of your list: the CelCo Cellulose Conference in London this November. More than just a conference, this is where the global pulp, cellulose, and fiber industry comes together. Attending will give you the opportunity to connect with key industry stakeholders, strengthen existing relationships, gain valuable market intelligence, and increase your visibility within the sector. Think beyond the conference itself. Schedule customer meetings, supplier discussions, strategic partnerships, and networking opportunities around your trip. Maximize your time in London and turn a few days away from the office into months of business value. Make sure you’re part of the conversations that matter most.

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Health & Safety

Fire Stop: Yukon First Nations Wildfire expands into home fire‑protection systems

By Ross Burnet
Yukon News
September 5, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: Canada West

©YFNW

The Yukon First Nations Wildfire (YFNW) organization has established a service to help homeowners, cabin dwellers, remote camps, and industrial sites figure out what might be needed and then they can supply good quality equipment. YFNW is customizing fire suppression kits for different locations. The most important piece is the pump. YFNW is a Waterax distributor. This brand is known for supplying professional wildland firefighting crews with versatile workhorse portable and mobile pumps. Their website (yfnwildfire.com) states “Yukon First Nations Wildfire (YFNW) is a partnership of nine Yukon First Nations stakeholders, providing emergency management and training services. …As a firefighting organization, YFNW deploys crews to fires in Yukon and elsewhere. …A water system can be viewed as an investment and one that could have a real impact … some thought to sprinklers- even ones set-up with no water, for fire crews to connect to on your home—is worth considering.

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Records reveal complaints before deadly Washington pulp mill disaster

By Martha Bellisle
The Seattle Times
September 5, 2026
Category: Health & Safety
Region: United States, US West

A Longview pulp mill where 11 workers died after a chemical tank collapsed in May had a history of safety complaints, poor maintenance and discharges of toxic chemicals, records reviewed by The Associated Press show. …The AP reviewed government records involving inspections and safety complaints at the Nippon Dynawave Packaging plant in Longview. Before the accident, the state Department of Ecology had issued 54 environmental violation notices against the company since 2016 and fined it $41,500 for eight serious violations. The state Department of Labor and Industries investigated more than a dozen safety complaints at the plant since 2018 and issued almost $7,000 in fines for violations. Its investigation into the tank collapse is ongoing, and it has opened two new investigations since May. …The multiple equipment failures and safety violations are a “red flag” for this company, said Stephen Kmiotek, a chemical engineering professor at the Worcester Polytechnic Institute. [to access the full story a Seattle Times subscription is required]

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Forest Fires

Containment doubles on Plaskett Fire, but Hwy. 1 still closed along Big Sur’s south coast

By Libby Hanson
The San Luis Obispo Tribune
September 8, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West

©InciWeb

Crews made steady progress on the two wildfires burning along the Big Sur coast, with containment on the Plaskett Fire doubling over the weekend. In total, the fires have burned 55,219 acres, according to Cal Fire’s latest numbers. The Plaskett Fire, which ignited on Aug. 26 near Gorda, had burned 29,862 acres — but the wildfire’s containment had risen by 18% over Labor Day weekend to reaching 37% containment as of Monday morning. Cal Fire’s incident update page said that favorable weather in the Big Sur area has helped support progress control-line construction and perimeter security on the Plaskett Fire. …Both the Timber and Plaskett fires resulted in evacuation orders and warnings in Monterey and SLO counties, and have remained in place throughout the weekend.

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Rain, cooler weather help curb wildfires affecting Oregon national forests

By Casey Frizzell
Oregon Public Broadcasting
September 6, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: US West

©InciWeb

Rain and cooler weather this week slowed several wildfires affecting Oregon’s national forests, letting crews strengthen containment lines and reopen trails and campgrounds closed by the flames. Officials warn the break won’t last, and Oregon’s fire season is far from over. The rain that fell over the Mount Hood National Forest this week has helped firefighters keep the Austin and Narrows Fires in check. In the wet, high-humidity conditions, both wildfires have burned slowly and crept with minimal growth. Crews will continue to build containment lines where the terrain allows and use heavy equipment to remove fuels — fallen logs, branches and shrubs — that allow fires to grow. As of Saturday, the Austin Fire has burned more than 12,500 acres and is 21% contained, while the Narrows Fire has burned just over 300 acres and is 25% contained. Level 3 “Go Now” evacuations remain in place for some community members impacted by the fires.

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Firefighting crews battle forest fires across southern Türkiye

The Daily Sabah
September 8, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Firefighting crews continued efforts Tuesday to bring under control a forest fire that started Monday evening in Antalya’s Aksu district in southern Türkiye and spread to nearby Kepez. The fire began in a forested area near the Karaöz neighborhood in Aksu and spread toward Kepez as strong winds pushed the flames across a wider area. The blaze affected areas around the Karaöz, Hatipler, Yeşilkaraman, Kızıllı and Çamlıca neighborhoods. As a precaution, the Northern Ring Road and part of the Antalya-Isparta highway were temporarily closed to traffic. The road was reopened under controlled conditions Monday morning. The fire reached the Antalya-Isparta highway, but crews prevented the flames from crossing the road through intensive firefighting efforts. Aerial operations began early Tuesday, with five aircraft and more than 10 helicopters joining the response. Around 110 firefighting vehicles and more than 600 personnel are also working to contain the blaze. Authorities evacuated 254 homes in the two districts.

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Major Wildfire Threatens Protected Forests in Greece’s Pindus Mountains

By Nick Kampouris
Greek Reporter
September 6, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

©CivProGreece

A major wildfire burning near Konitsa in northwestern Greece has put communities and protected forests at risk, forcing authorities to concentrate resources on stopping its advance through the rugged Northern Pindus landscape. The blaze started on Mount Trapezitsa on August 31 and later expanded after strong flare-ups. On Sunday, according to local media from the Epirus region, a massive firefighting operation is currently mobilizing 170 firefighters, 53 forest commandos, and 30 local volunteers, supported by 13 aircraft and over 70 ground vehicles. Local authorities and the Greek Armed Forces are also assisting with heavy machinery and water trucks to construct firebreaks, while the special Epirus drone unit has been deployed for the very first time to actively map the fire fronts. …Steep slopes and the lack of ground access have limited where firefighters can operate. Their immediate priorities are to prevent the flames from moving downhill toward Konitsa and to protect the wooded area above the town.

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‘Truly scared’: Blazes outpace firefighters in Indonesian Borneo

Radio France Internationale
September 6, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Pontianak, Indonesia – Toiling around the clock, haggard Indonesian firefighters on Borneo island cannot keep up with the blazes devouring landscapes and shrouding communities in a cloying haze. They are fighting a perilous battle with limited weapons against fires blamed in part on a stronger-than-usual episode of the El Nino climate phenomenon parching Southeast Asia. Experts also blame climate change, decades of forest degradation and slash-and-burn land clearing practices that have changed the naturally fire-resistant landscape. “We are exhausted. Sometimes we carry out firefighting until dawn. Sometimes we don’t sleep,” said Sampe Ritonga, fire chief for Sintang regency. …Some 400 kilometres (250 miles) away in Pontianak — the capital of West Kalimantan province — people have been breathing foul air for weeks. …on Sunday, the level of PM2.5 pollution exceeded 500 micrograms per cubic metre, according to IQAir, a Switzerland-based monitor. That is more than 100 times the World Health Organization’s recommended safe limit

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Record European fires burn over 500,000 hectares over summer

Associated Free Press in France 24
September 4, 2026
Category: Forest Fires
Region: International

Paris, France – A record-breaking summer that saw more than 1,000 wildfires has torched some 540,000 hectares of land across the European Union since mid-June, according to official data. Multiple back-to-back heatwaves fuelled by climate change scorched Europe, causing more than 30,000 excess deaths, widespread drought and devastating wildfires that forced hundreds of thousands of people to flee their homes, particularly in Spain and France. Temperature records across the continent were smashed, triggering dangerous blazes even in normally cool, wet areas such as Belgium and Scotland. …Four of the EU’s 15 largest fires of the last 10 years occurred this summer, according to European Forest Fire Information System (EFFIS) data. …Before the end of July, France had already broken its record for the total area burned in a single year since records began. …Spain, Greece, Portugal and Italy are among the other southern EU nations that experienced an active fire season, a common summer phenomenon in the region.

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Forest History & Archives

The Deadliest Forest Fires In American History

By Debbie Howlett
World Atlas
September 7, 2026
Category: Forest History & Archives
Region: United States

Wallace Idaho (Wiki)

Peshtigo burned in 1871 and Lahaina in 2023, and the fires between them changed how Americans think about evacuation and public relief during forest fires. Determining the deadliest wildfire disasters in US history is not as simple as counting death tolls. Records from the 1800s are incomplete, estimates vary, and some familiar names refer to a single fire, while others encompass dozens of fires burning across a region. Modern disasters also blur the boundary between a wildfire and an urban conflagration: vegetation may carry the flames into a community, but buildings can then become the principal fuel. The fires below are US wildland and wildland-urban disasters that were exceptionally deadly or historically consequential, presented in chronological order. These forest fires show how dangerous fire becomes when drought, wind, abundant fuel, and limited escape routes converge.

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