For just one instance this fire season, we don’t want you to call 911 if you see smoke billowing from the North Shore mountains. On Thursday, North Shore Emergency Management will be conducting a dry run on our wilderburb’s worst nightmare: an urban interface fire.
It will involve smoke machines and helicopters bucketing water and plenty of police and fire vehicles.
It’s the third time now all our local first responder agencies have conducted Operation Dry Lightning, which we have nothing but praise for, as we know our changing climate means drier summers and higher risk for forest fires. We want to be ready if the worst should happen.
But we are more concerned about people than we are about lightning. In 2018, B.C. set a dubious record as more square kilometres were burned than ever before. According to the province, 40 per cent of those fires were human caused.
In August 2018, a wildfire near Whyte Lake grew to three hectares and took four days to extinguish. It was caused by embers from a makeshift camp stove. Last week an arson at a home on Capilano Road very nearly caused the entire neighbourhood to go up. This summer, we want to see rigid enforcement for the careless butt flickers and beach bonfire burners.
But, while we don’t want you calling 911 on Thursday, we do think you should call your local council and tell them they should do everything in their power not just to help us adapt to the risks that come with climate change but also to stop it in its tracks. Our land use, transportation habits and carbon output all meet in municipal hall.
Any half-hearted effort on those fronts would be playing with fire.
What are your thoughts? Send us a letter via email by clicking here or post a comment below.
