Clearing natural debris from ground can reduce spread of wildfires: expert
Posted May 9, 2016 9:16 am.
This article is more than 5 years old.
VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – Fort McMurray should serve as a warning to other cities across the country when it comes to wildfire prevention.
That’s what we’re hearing from an expert at UBC, who also says we need to adapt for climate change.
Dean of Forestry John Innes says there are many ways other cities and towns can prevent this kind of disaster. He tells us it can be as simple as clearing the brush, sticks and leaves that litter the ground in the forests surrounding these municipalities.
“If we actually remove the material that’s on the ground and remove any small branches in the trees, we reduce the risk of the fire spreading up into the tree canopies.”
“If we can keep it at the ground level, we can keep fuel loads down and we can allow fires to come through on a regular basis — but they are low intensity, so they don’t cause the damage that a grand fire would do,” he adds.
He adds another method is clear-cutting a buffer zone around the town, althought that’s usually not a pallatable choice.
Innes says with climate change creating drier conditions and longer wildfire seasons, preventative measures have never been more important.
