The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) needs to invest more into its initial (IA) crews and equipment to tackle wildfires before they grow into destructive interface fires. That’s what Allan Willcocks, a retired professional forester and resource manager with 40 years of experience, says. Willcocks sat down with Rick Maddison on KelownaNow Live to discuss BC’s current approach to forestry and fire management. Willcocks, who now lives in West Kelowna, worked with Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry for seven and a half years and has also fought fires and practiced forestry in BC. He says natural resource management in Ontario was an integrated approach involving land and resource managers, firefighters and a well-budgeted initial attack program.

The idea that clear-cuts help stop forest fires is a myth. That is the conclusion of a number of recent studies in the western U.S. Clear-cuts provide an area hotter and drier than the surrounding forests in fire season. Without trees, clear-cuts have no wind breaks, which allow wind speeds to increase. Clear-cut logging tends to spread invasive grasses, which are flammable. In the first several years after logging, fires in a clear cut will burn hotter and travel faster than in the surrounding forest. In the western U.S., forested areas around a community are some times clear-cut to reduce fire risk. This is termed “thinning.” However, this actually increases risk. One example is the Camp Fire which destroyed the town of Paradise, CA., in 2018. The forested area around Paradise had previously been “thinned.” No forest treatment more than 30 metres from a dwelling has been shown to reduce fire risk.

In 2023, the Province of British Columbia had over 2.84 million hectares of forest and land burned, tens of thousands of evacuees, and hundreds of homes lost or damaged due to wildfires. … In a recent talk at TEDx Abbotsford, BCIT alumnus and Forest and Natural Areas Management faculty Justin Perry discussed the historical suppression of wildfires and its consequences in heightening fire risks. In his talk, Justin advocated for an alternative strategy to preventing wildfires. …Instead of solely suppressing fires, Justin argues for a more holistic approach, including conducting “controlled burning” which can help mitigate uncontrolled wildfires in the long-term. “Fires are a natural part of the ecosystem,” Justin says. “Without fire, the forest becomes dense. Combine this with climate change, we have forests that are too dense, dried out, and ready to burn.”

David Eby

What does Premier David Eby’s strong support for the natural resources sector this past month mean for this election year? …Eby set out a revised message to the natural resources sector at the BC Natural Resources Forum in Prince George this month, stating that “everyone in this room, every British Columbian, shares a stake in ensuring that this sector is successful and drives our prosperity in the future.” This is a significant departure from his tone up to now, which was publicly critical of the natural resources sector, calling it out for inadequate industry leadership and investment in climate-aligned solutions. The question now is: Will he take the same message to the rest of the province, including areas where support for the sector could be described as contentious at best? …Forestry and mining were also tapped by the premier as significant economic drivers for the province. 

The Province is responding to the first cases of chronic wasting disease in British Columbia, found in two deer samples from the Kootenay Region. Chronic wasting disease is an infectious and fatal disease affecting species in the cervid family, such as deer, elk, moose and caribou. There is no direct evidence that the disease can be transmitted to humans and there have been no cases of the disease in humans. However, to prevent any potential risk of transmission or illness, Health Canada and the World Health Organization recommend people not eat meat or other parts of an animal infected with chronic wasting disease. …The two cases were identified south of Cranbrook. …In response to the disease being detected in neighbouring jurisdictions, the Province established a surveillance and response plan for chronic wasting disease to lessen the risk of the disease spreading in B.C.

Alberta fire chiefs are calling for the province to “urgently” release its wildfire strategy ahead of the official start of the season on March 1. In an open letter published Wednesday, the Alberta Fire Chiefs Association (AFCA) warned that a dry winter could spark events as devastating as last year’s. In 2023, an unprecedented 2.2 million hectares burned across the province after unusually hot, dry and windy conditions in the spring. “There is a growing concern among fire chiefs across the province of the lack of communication of what the plan is, allocation of funds compared to previous years and plan for the recruitment and deployment of firefighters and equipment,” the letter said. Association president Randy Schroeder, chief of Lac Ste. Anne County Fire Services, told Postmedia Wednesday last year’s response saw agencies work together, but overall, it was too reactionary.