Lucas Brehaut

Snow lingering across Newfoundland and Labrador is a good sign for those worried about the possibility of spring fires but scientists say it’s too early to say if there will be another historic wildfire season this summer. Lucas Brehaut, a wildfire resilience research scientist with the federal government’s Atlantic Forestry Centre, said there are three “main ingredients” for fires: an ignition event, warm and dry weather, and vegetation that fuels fire. “Historically we’re seeing a trend in more severe fire years. Over the last 20 to 30 years, fires are happening more frequently and they’re becoming more severe across the landscape,” Brehaut told CBC News. …University of New Brunswick forest ecologist Anthony Taylor said based on weather forecasts, there is an elevated risk of another bad wildfire season in the coming months.