Western Canada’s new wildfire reality needs a new approach to fire management

Hoffman, Kira M.; Christianson, Amy Cardinal; Gray, Robert W.; Daniels, Lori D.

doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ac7345

Cited by 15 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…At the same time, the scale of post-harvest fuel mitigation work has decreased significantly over the past three decades. Prior to the early 1990s, prescribed burning (specifically, broadcast burning, as well as burning for wildlife habitat) occurred across tens of thousands of ha/year 3 . By the early 1990s the use of prescribed fire had decreased to less than 10,000 ha/year 3 .…”

Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Abrupt, climate-induced increase in wildfires in British Columbia since the mid-2000s

Parisien,

Barber,

Bourbonnais

et al. 2023

Commun Earth Environ

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In the province of British Columbia, Canada, four of the most severe wildfire seasons of the last century occurred in the past 7 years: 2017, 2018, 2021, and 2023. To investigate trends in wildfire activity and fire-conducive climate, we conducted an analysis of mapped wildfire perimeters and annual climate data for the period of 1919–2021. Results show that after a century-long decline, fire activity increased from 2005 onwards, coinciding with a sharp reversal in the wetting trend of the 20th century. Even as precipitation levels remain high, moisture deficits have increased due to rapid warming and increased evaporative demand. Bottom-up factors further influence fire activity, as the legacy of past wildfires, insect outbreaks, and land-use practices continually influence fire regimes. The compound effects of climate-induced moisture changes and altered fuels now force British Columbians to confront the harsh reality of more frequent years of intense and prolonged wildfire activity.

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Section: Resultsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Some wildfires exhibited extreme behavior, such as fire whirls, as well as the production of lightning from the pyrocumulus clouds that ignited new wildfires 2 . Many homes were lost across BC, and a record number (168) of evacuation orders were issued 3 . First responders grappled with chronic stress and exhaustion.…”

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confidence: 99%

Abrupt, climate-induced increase in wildfires in British Columbia since the mid-2000s

Parisien,

Barber,

Bourbonnais

et al. 2023

Commun Earth Environ

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“…The FBP System slash fuel types are based on silvicultural practices from the 1970s and were developed from experimental burns where slash was scattered across cutblocks with fixed fuel load values (Forestry Canada Fire Danger Group 1992 ). In the 1970s and 1980s, broadcast burning was frequently used in BC to remove harvesting residues and pre-treat units for replanting; however, this practice dramatically declined after the 1990s (Hoffman et al 2022 ) and was replaced with pile burning at landings and, less frequently, mastication of remaining fuels. New residue treatment methods, such as surface fuel mastication, are not described by the FBP System and are not well understood from a fire behavior perspective (Kreye et al 2014 ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fuel types misrepresent forest structure and composition in interior British Columbia: a way forward

Baron,

Hessburg,

Parisien

et al. 2024

fire ecol

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Background A clear understanding of the connectivity, structure, and composition of wildland fuels is essential for effective wildfire management. However, fuel typing and mapping are challenging owing to a broad diversity of fuel conditions and their spatial and temporal heterogeneity. In Canada, fuel types and potential fire behavior are characterized using the Fire Behavior Prediction (FBP) System, which uses an association approach to categorize vegetation into 16 fuel types based on stand structure and composition. In British Columbia (BC), provincial and national FBP System fuel type maps are derived from remotely sensed forest inventory data and are widely used for wildfire operations, fuel management, and scientific research. Despite their widespread usage, the accuracy and applicability of these fuel type maps have not been formally assessed. To address this knowledge gap, we quantified the agreement between on-site assessments and provincial and national fuel type maps in interior BC. Results We consistently found poor correspondence between field assessment data and both provincial and national fuel types. Mismatches were particularly frequent for (i) dry interior ecosystems, (ii) mixedwood and deciduous fuel types, and (iii) post-harvesting conditions. For 58% of field plots, there was no suitable match to the extant fuel structure and composition. Mismatches were driven by the accuracy and availability of forest inventory data and low applicability of the Canadian FBP System to interior BC fuels. Conclusions The fuel typing mismatches we identified can limit scientific research, but also challenge wildfire operations and fuel management decisions. Improving fuel typing accuracy will require a significant effort in fuel inventory data and system upgrades to adequately represent the diversity of extant fuels. To more effectively link conditions to expected fire behavior outcomes, we recommend a fuel classification approach and emphasis on observed fuels and measured fire behavior data for the systems we seek to represent.

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“…Worldwide, managing landscape fire is increasingly challenging because fire is simultaneously necessary for (Lake and Christianson 2019;Millington et al 2022) and poses a risk to (Bowman et al 2013) societies and ecosystems. Furthermore, there are distinct but interacting challenges across local, regional, and global spatial scales (Bowman et al 2013;Hessburg et al 2021;Hoffman et al 2022b). These challenges require transformative solutions that match the scope and scales of the current and future fire context (Smith et al 2016;Higuera et al 2019;Tedim et al 2019;2021;Shuman et al 2022).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Guiding principles for transdisciplinary and transformative fire research

Copes-Gerbitz,

Sutherland,

Dickson-Hoyle

et al. 2024

fire ecol

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Background Managing landscape fire is a complex challenge because it is simultaneously necessary for, and increasingly poses a risk to, societies and ecosystems worldwide. This challenge underscores the need for transformative change in the way societies live with and manage fire. While researchers have the potential to act as agents of transformative change, in practice, the ability to affect change is often constrained by siloed and biased expertise, rigid decision-making institutions, and increasingly vulnerable social-ecological systems where urgent rather than long-term solutions are prioritized. Addressing these challenges requires more holistic and equitable approaches to fire research that promote new models of transdisciplinary thinking, collaboration, and practice. Results To advance transformative solutions to this complex fire challenge, we propose four principles for conducting transdisciplinary fire research: (1) embrace complexity, (2) promote diverse ways of knowing fire, (3) foster transformative learning, and (4) practice problem-centered research. These principles emerged from our experience as a group of early-career researchers who are embedded within and motivated by today’s complex fire challenge within British Columbia (BC), Canada. In this forum piece, we first describe the four principles and then apply the principles to two case studies: (1) BC, a settler-colonial context experiencing increased size, severity, and impacts of wildfires, and (2) our ECR discussion group, a space of collective learning and transformation. In doing so, we present a unique contribution that builds on existing efforts to develop more holistic fire research frameworks and demonstrates how application of these principles can promote transdisciplinary research and transformation towards coexistence with fire, from local to global scales. Conclusions In this forum piece, we identify and apply four guiding principles for transdisciplinary fire research. Collectively, these principles can foster more inclusive applied fire research that matches the scope and scale of today’s fire challenge and promotes transformative change towards coexisting with fire.

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Western Canada’s new wildfire reality needs a new approach to fire management

Abstract: Abstract

Cited by 15 publications

References 20 publications

Abrupt, climate-induced increase in wildfires in British Columbia since the mid-2000s

Abrupt, climate-induced increase in wildfires in British Columbia since the mid-2000s

Fuel types misrepresent forest structure and composition in interior British Columbia: a way forward

Guiding principles for transdisciplinary and transformative fire research

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