• Thanks for stopping by. Logging in to a registered account will remove all generic ads. Please reach out with any questions or concerns.

2024 Wildfire Season

markppcli said:
t also renews my rage about Alberts cutting back on fire fighters, watch towers, and rap attack
Click to expand...

I love the tight, comfy design, charm and feel of Jasper. Despite that, how can the province be blamed for so much of this? As I mentioned above, when North America's best trained, highest budgeted FD (LA county) says they can't stop urban wildfires, and the millions spent on "forrest management " is a wasted effort. How rational is it to blame the province for this? I am impressed with the efforts to slow the fire in this weather, and the communication to keep people safe throughout this fire. Tourists are often forgotten in the pre-planning and during these types of natural hazards.
 
kratz said:
I love the tight, comfy design, charm and feel of Jasper. Despite that, how can the province be blamed for so much of this? As I mentioned above, when North America's best trained, highest budgeted FD (LA county) says they can't stop urban wildfires, and the millions spent on "forrest management " is a wasted effort. How rational is it to blame the province for this? I am impressed with the efforts to slow the fire in this weather, and the communication to keep people safe throughout this fire. Tourists are often forgotten in the pre-planning and during these types of natural hazards.
Click to expand...
Especially since Parks Canada is the primary agency responsible for both fuel mitigation and firefighting in Jasper National Park- not the Alberta Government.

I like Jasper, too. I much prefer it to Banff. Sadly, it may be years before a visit is possible again…
 
kratz said:
Attending last week’s 49th Natural Hazards Workshop in Colorado, several sessions discussed the urban interface with wildfires and various topics aligned with preparedness and mitigation for the risks from wildfires. Repeatedly, the message is clear, 90% of a successful effort is accomplished before a fire begins. Programs, such as FireSmart, removing burnable debris to 33 feet from habitable buildings and to use non-flammable building materials reduces the start of ember blown fires.
Click to expand...

More emphasis on maintaining large fire breaks? Deadfall harvesting program? The last time I was in Jasper much of the surrounding mountainsides were devastated by pine beetles leaving huge swaths of dry dead timber just waiting to light up.
 
QV said:
More emphasis on maintaining large fire breaks? Deadfall harvesting program? The last time I was in Jasper much of the surrounding mountainsides were devastated by pine beetles leaving huge swaths of dry dead timber just waiting to light up.
Click to expand...

Relocating communities to less risky parts of the forest cover may be the only solution in future...
 
Quirky said:
Increase the carbon tax 100x.
Click to expand...
Better yet, cancel the rebate program entirely and actually use what they have on green infrastructure and tech, R&D and climate mitigation programs. It's so fucking stupid that they take the money and redistribute it. That carbon tax could have electrified Alberta and Sask by now or funded several fission plants or built nice transit infrastructure in every Canadian major city or built seawalls or funded fusion research or hardened electrical grids or or or. It should actually be having tangible effects on GHG emissions, not performative, do-nothing income redistributions.
 
daftandbarmy said:
Luckily they've been doing more forest management to mitigate fires in the Parks, but who knows if it will be enough....



Logging in Canada’s Most Famous National Park to Save It From Wildfires​


Still reeling from its worst wildfire season on record last year, Canada is now confronting the quick start of a new one. So-called zombie fires, which smoldered under snow-covered ground during the winter, have sprung to life and forced thousands to flee from affected cities and towns in Western Canada.

Coming out of Canada’s warmest winter in history, communities near forests are bracing for another tough wildfire season, and for a future increasingly prone to wildfires as a result of climate change.

Long-planned measures meant to protect against wildfires — like the fire guard in Alberta’s Banff park and other projects in the town of Banff — have taken on a greater sense of urgency.

Last year, a dozen fires were ignited, mostly from lightning, in Banff and two adjoining national parks, including three near the new fire guard. They were quickly extinguished.

But across Alberta, the impact of last year’s record wildfire season was “massive,’’ said Katherine Severson, director of emergency services in the town of Banff.

The increased number of fires in sparsely populated areas of Canada has affected not only nearby communities, but also distant ones, with the intense smoke they have generated floating into southern Canada and into the United States.

www.nytimes.com

Logging in Canada’s Most Famous National Park to Save It From Wildfires

Trees have been cut to create fire guards in Banff, the country’s most popular national park. After its warmest winter in history, Canada braces for another season of wildfires.
www.nytimes.com www.nytimes.com
Click to expand...
Yes Jasper logged some small areas...mostly to the north and west of town. It was patch cuts but they did a really good job at removing the post logging slash as well. But it was only a small area.

Further north of town, mostly near the air strip, they have been doing a series of prescribed fires the last few years and had opened up a decent sized area through multiple low intensity burns...but it's still not a full barrier.

Now picture a 300-400m tall wall of flame (which is what I'm hearing), a big enough fire to create it's own lightning storm (and associated winds) , in a valley, with limited breaks, full of forest and dead trees.

Add in historic buildings and variable building codes over the last century and how many houses had fire proof roofs, let alone siding and landscaping...(hint few). And in-fill building has narrowed the gap between the old 1940's homes and the modern ones meters apart.

I won't be able to process this for a few days or weeks...just keep moving forward one step at a time. The only saving grace right now is so far I have not heard of any injuries or fatalities...because frankly that might be the only win possible here.
 
Was hoping for more to survive....but honestly that situation scared me for years and some worst case fears came true.

It is not the first time the valley has burned out...see this publication to give a better sense of the last 400 years.
Jasper Athabasca Valley Fires

Fark...not much more to say today.
 
QV said:
More emphasis on maintaining large fire breaks? Deadfall harvesting program? The last time I was in Jasper much of the surrounding mountainsides were devastated by pine beetles leaving huge swaths of dry dead timber just waiting to light up.
Click to expand...
My wife and I were staying in one of the log cabins at Miette hotsprings last week until we were told to leave because of the Utopia Pass fire. QV is correct about the dead trees. I was looking at the mountainsides surrounding the hot springs and to my eye there were at least 2 dead trees for every live one. I spoke briefly to one of the Parks staff to inquire if there was any plan to clear out the dead trees and was informed that it was a natural occurrence and mostly due to 'climate change' and they weren't planning to do anything about it. I just walked away. Now a few days later we are paying an incredibly high price for what appears to me to be a criminal level of incompetence on the part of Parks Canada. The worst part is that no one will be held accountable for the loss of a lot of Canada's and Alberta's historic buildings in Jasper and area being burnt and huge loss of personal effects as well.
 
It is really incredible that nobody was seriously injured when that fire accelerated up the valley right past the wildfire crews and into the town site. Really, really lucky that nobody was seriously injured.
 
KJK said:
My wife and I were staying in one of the log cabins at Miette hotsprings last week until we were told to leave because of the Utopia Pass fire. QV is correct about the dead trees. I was looking at the mountainsides surrounding the hot springs and to my eye there were at least 2 dead trees for every live one. I spoke briefly to one of the Parks staff to inquire if there was any plan to clear out the dead trees and was informed that it was a natural occurrence and mostly due to 'climate change' and they weren't planning to do anything about it. I just walked away. Now a few days later we are paying an incredibly high price for what appears to me to be a criminal level of incompetence on the part of Parks Canada. The worst part is that no one will be held accountable for the loss of a lot of Canada's and Alberta's historic buildings in Jasper and area being burnt and huge loss of personal effects as well.
Click to expand...
Back in 1999 I recall talking to a BC Forester who had pleaded with BC parks to burn a small infestation of Pine Beetle in North Tweedsimur Park and got the same response.
 
Colin Parkinson said:
Back in 1999 I recall talking to a BC Forester who had pleaded with BC parks to burn a small infestation of Pine Beetle in North Tweedsimur Park and got the same response.
Click to expand...

Easy weapon to wage environmental warfare with. We are in multiple domains of war right now (information, economic, cyber)… why wouldn’t an adversary also seek to destroy natural resources while draining financial resources also? Lots of ways to do this.. arson, contaminating waterways with invasive species, fires… pine beetle infestations. Maybe it’s time to think outside the box…

I’ll remove my tinfoil hat and show myself to the door now… wait, who am I kidding, the hat stays on!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

daftandbarmy
    • Like
The Return of the Urban Firestorm
Replies
2
Views
5K
foresterab
F
B
Reserves - Occupational experience and full-time opportunities
2
Replies
22
Views
18K
Blue Jay
B
Kirkhill
    • Like
The Arctic
3 4 5
Replies
85
Views
49K
Skysix
Skysix
GR66
    • Insightful
Canada - The Last Super Power
2
Replies
26
Views
19K
Brad Sallows
Brad Sallows
Kirkhill
    • Like
The U.S. Army Turns Focus to the Division Level
Replies
6
Views
4K
Kirkhill
Kirkhill
Back
Top