NANAIMO — It’s largely a wait and see approach from the BC Wildfire Service in its approach to tackling a pair of wildfires on the sparsely populated north Island. While the 40 hectare Golden Hinde fire in Strathcona Provincial Park and the 25 hectare Nimpkish River fire east of Tahsis are burning out of control, they are under what the BC Wildfire Services calls a ‘modified response’. It means a combination of techniques are being used to either monitor or actively douse the flames, with Coastal Fire Centre information officer Christi Howes saying they’ve closely watched the fires since recent lightning strikes. …The burns are being made easier by tinder-dry conditions throughout most of Vancouver Island with a high to extreme fire danger rating across most of the region. A handful of other, smaller fires dot through the spine of Vancouver Island, including one sparked Aug. 24 midway between Port Alberni and Tofino.

With a rise in the number of wildfires in Saskatchewan, burnt landscapes stripped of plant life are becoming more common. Most creatures find a burnt environment uninhabitable, but a University of Saskatchewan (USask) research team has discovered how certain species of insects use these scorched lands as a safe location to lay eggs. “Most animals can’t handle the heat of an active fire, but once the fire is out it becomes a beacon that attracts all kinds of things,” said Aaron Bell, a biology PhD candidate at USask. “Many animals … are attracted to recent burns and make use of these habitats in the immediate aftermath of fire.” According to the USask-led study… pyrophilic—or ‘fire loving’—beetles that lay their eggs in burnt habitats tend to have an 80 per cent increase in reproductive output compared to individuals that lay eggs in unburnt forest soil, demonstrating an important environmental use of wildfire-affected habitats.

The Syilx Okanagan Nation is calling on the provincial government to stop the logging of old-growth forests in the Revelstoke area. The Okanagan Nation Alliance, consisting of seven First Nations in the Okanagan and Similkameen, has been butting heads with the province over old-growth logging protections for months. Earlier this year, they formally opposed a set of old-growth logging deferrals in its territory over a lack of consultation, declaring the proposed maps were simply inaccurate and did not properly protect some old-growth stands while protecting other previously-harvested forests. …The First Nation says the provincial government provided them “with a set of options” in July 2022 that allowed for the logging of old-growth stands in the Revelstoke area. “These options do not include adequate protections for old forests, caribou, and the many other values on our territory,” the ONA said.

PRINCE GEORGE- Conservation North has called on the provincial government to limit further destruction of wildlife habitats in Prince George. “The rules around protecting the biodiversity in the Prince George TSA, an area spanning 8 million hectares, resulted from a negotiated agreement around 20 years ago between logging companies and the B.C. government,” said Michelle Connolly, with Conservation North. “Essentially protecting logging company access to the number of old forests when they want and where they want.” …CKPG News reached out to the Ministry of Forests: “Since November, our government has prevented logging in nearly 1.7 million hectares of old growth working in partnership with First Nations,” said Katrine Conroy, the minister of forests. “Approximately 80% of the priority at-risk old growth identified by the Old Growth Technical Advisory Panel is not threatened by logging because it is already permanently protected, covered by deferrals, or uneconomic to harvest,” said Conroy

YELLOWKNIFE – The 2022 wildfire season in the Northwest Territories (NWT) is shaping up to be one of the most severe in the past five years. “We’re well on our way to doubling our five-year average for area burned,” said Mike Westwick, a wildfire information officer for the territory. “It’s been a significant year for fires after a few years where we had a slight downturn.” So far, 238 fires have burned nearly 4,300 square kilometres of land across the territory, compared to a five-year average of around 2,300 square kilometres. …Westwick said long spells of hot, dry weather have contributed to the wildfires this summer. He said this wildfire season is lasting slightly longer than usual as hot temperatures persist in the southern part of the territory. More than 100 active wildfires are still burning across the N.W.T. …”The boreal forest is a landscape that’s primarily shaped by fire. It’s the most important force that’s shaped our landscape over millennia,” Westwick said.