WATCH ABOVE: Large portions of Alberta are under fire bans and fire restrictions unusually early in the season. In terms of wildfire activity 2015 is on track to be one of the worst years in a decade. Margeaux Morin reports.
EDMONTON – From lawns to farmer’s fields, the parched ground shows just how dry this spring has been. So dry, that experts predict the 2015 wildfire season to be more active than normal.
Dr. Kerry Anderson is a fire research officer with the Northern Forestry Centre who provides national-level information on current and forecast fire conditions. His team uses information about what happened over the winter to predict what is going to happen in this summer. A weak El Nino this past winter played a big role in their forecast.
“El Nino does have an impact on conditions in Western Canada. Typically we will experience warmer winters and often we see a reduction in the amount of rainfall in the summer.”
“That’s kind of what’s happening here,” he continued, “and that’s what we are expecting this fire season.”
So far, it’s true. Much needed precipitation has yet to soak many parts of the province this spring.
The counties of Leduc and Wetaskiwin are just two of the 16 Alberta jurisdictions under full fire bans at this time. Another seven are under fire restrictions. Brad Gurmin and his team at Leduc County Fire Services have been fighting a number of brush fires this week.
Those who start a wildfire “can be held responsible for the cost of fighting that fire through the Forest Prairie Protection Act” he noted.
“It could be enforced through the RCMP or through peace officers, and can end up being a very large cost.”
So how ripe are the forest fire conditions at this time? Alberta has seen 264 wildfires so far in the 2015 season. At this time last year, 69 had burned. On a particularly bad season like 2010, there were 311 fires by the end of April. At this pace, we are on track to see one of the worst wildfire seasons in a handful of years.
For Anderson, the numbers speak for themselves.
“We should be well aware and anticipate the importance of having some fire sense, and appreciate that we have to be careful when we’re out there using the forest.”
A provincial list of fire bans, restrictions and advisories can be found at albertafirebans.ca.
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