Here’s what we can do to deal with the increased risk of wildfires

There are a range of possible actions to adapt to the risk of wildfire in these times of climate crisis, such as developing a fire retardant to block flames near infrastructure or building more resilient homes.

More than 13,000 Quebecers evacuated. More than 500,000 hectares gone up in smoke. We have seen this week the importance of adapting to forest fires which are likely to be more present than before. Because no, we will not be able to extinguish them all, repeat the scientists. The newspaper consulted several experts to determine what needs to be improved to prevent the risk and reduce the damage.

1) Protect your home

Finished, the cedar shingle roof

If you’re thinking of building a house or cabin near a wooded area, there are a series of tips to follow, which unfortunately aren’t widely known enough, says Glenn McGillivray of the Institute for Catastrophic Loss Reduction. “People think a forest fire is a wall of flames moving forward, but it’s not quite that.” In reality, a fire can project embers for several kilometers, which will then ignite the flammable products where they land.

For example, metal, bitumen and clay tiles are to be preferred, while shakes, wood or vinyl siding are to be avoided, according to the FireSmart guide.

Bye bye, the logs leaning against the house

It is also preferable to establish a buffer zone around your house. Combustible materials, such as trees or building materials lying around, should be placed more than 10 meters from the building. We can say goodbye to the shed filled with fireplace logs leaning directly against the house. The SOPFEU guide suggests, for example, mowing your lawn so that it does not exceed 10 centimeters.

2) Prevent tripping

Fewer firs, more hardwoods

You may have seen a video of a Christmas tree catching fire in seconds. “It’s a pretty simple rule: spruce and fir burn well. Poplar and birch burn less well,” summarizes Jonathan Boucher, researcher at the Canadian Forest Service. However, the forest industry relies heavily on softwood species in the boreal forest.

“At Lebel-sur-Quévillon, for example, we could have planted aspen trees around the plant instead of conifers,” illustrates Yves Bergeron, professor of forest ecology at UQAT and UQAM.

In addition, the tendency to create plantations with a single species favors fires, unlike diversified forests, adds Liliana Perez, professor in the geography department of the University of Montreal.

Maps like for flood zones

In Canada, there aren’t really any models to assess which areas are most vulnerable to fire, unlike what exists for flood-prone areas. “It’s something that is being built,” explains Jonathan Boucher. This assessment may be based, among other things, on the history of forest fires and the configuration of the city in order to create risk maps.

“The future lies in better planning in peri-urban areas. It’s absolutely clear”, summarizes Olivier Lundqvist of SOPFEU.

Comply with fire bans

“In general, 80% of fires in a season are due to human activity,” says Karine Pelletier, prevention officer for SOPFEU. Among the blazes raging at the moment is a badly extinguished campfire. It is therefore essential to read the posters carefully and to respect the prohibitions. “We are not doing this to disgust the world”, but because the danger is real, insists M^me Peltier.

Each spring, SOPFEU also comes up against resistance from owners who burn branches on their property, telling themselves that they have never had a problem in the past. However, dozens of fires are triggered each year, she underlines.

• Listen to Philippe-Vincent Foisy’s interview with Josée Poitras, prevention officer at SOPFEU – Society for the protection of forests against fire via QUB-radio :

3) Fight fires

Better tracking fires from space

Satellites are necessary to follow the evolution of fires, especially in an immense territory like that of Canada. The Canadian Forest Service already collects satellite data using infrared imagery that detects heat. However, the current system does not collect data at the end of the afternoon, the most critical period in the development of fires, explains researcher Jonathan Boucher.

Canadian experts are therefore developing Mission GardeFeu, a satellite designed specifically for monitoring forest fires. For example, by coupling its data with that of other satellites, it will be possible to compare the positions of a fire over time in order to calculate its propagation speed. This data can then be used to decide where to send combat personnel and whether to evacuate a population.

The GardeFeu Mission should come into operation in 2029.

More manpower, more tanker planes

As of Wednesday, the strike force of Quebec made it possible to fight about forty fires, while 150 were raging, then estimated François Legault. And this, even if SOPFEU has increased its workforce by 10% since 2018. During a normal season, the lack of resources is not as glaring, in particular because the provinces could help each other, assures Karine Pelletier of the SOPFEU. But this year, the fires in Quebec come as the west of the country is busy battling its own fires. In recent years, the fire seasons have also tended to stretch.

• Listen to Mario Dumont’s interview with Guy Bérubé, fire investigator and vice-president of the International Association of Arson Investigators via QUB-radio :

Continue the search

Scientists are far from having elucidated all the mysteries of forest fires and above all, how to fight them. For example, researchers have developed a type of smoke detector about 1000 times more sensitive than those in our homes. Others are trying to create a fireproof product that could block the flames near threatened infrastructure, illustrates Olivier Lundqvist. Others want to test the effectiveness of a prevention strategy that consists of cutting partial wood to prevent the spread, adds Jonathan Boucher. However, we know that opening up the forest stand allows the sun to dry out the land more quickly and gives more influence to the wind. This is a dilemma that still needs to be explored.

“We have to stop thinking that research is an expense. A dollar invested in adaptation is tens of thousands of dollars saved later in intervention,” recalls Philippe Gachon, professor in the geography department at UQAM.