Damage from B.C. wildfires brings new risks

This summer was one of the worst wildfire seasons in B.C. history with nearly 300,000 hectares of forest burned. Thankfully, the forest fires that swept across large swathes of the province are winding down but that doesn’t mean the danger is gone.

“Even after the fire there’s risks and hazards so if people are going into areas that have burned or if they’re driving past areas that burned on steep slopes, they need to be aware of some of those additional risks,” said Lori Daniels, an associate professor in UBC’s Faculty of Forestry.

Mitigation crews are working to make some areas popular with hikers safe from trees made unstable by the flames and heat.

“If the roots systems have been weakened, if the fire is burned down to the base of the trees and exposed some of their roots, those trees are going to be susceptible to falling,” said Daniels. “So be aware of those and be careful around them.”

Then there is the damage caused when flames consumed the lush forest canopies as well as the blanket of needles, leaves and other fuel on the forest floor.

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“So now when we get those heavy rains in the fall we can have the soils become super-saturated and being at risk of maybe sliding and eroding.”

Other burned areas may experience the problem of not enough water being absorbed by the soil.

“In some cases the soils have burned very hot and, as a result, they have kind of a waxy layer that forms and the water then is shed off of the surface of the soil. Instead of soaking into the soil it runs off and goes into the streams,” said Daniels.

Enough runoff can turn a gentle stream into a raging torrent. That is why people who live downstream or downslope of a severe wildfire site have to be aware of their surroundings if and when a storm hits.

Daniels insists it’s not all doom and gloom.

“Fire is an essential part of natural ecosystems and it’s an important driver that renews forests, that gives us diversity on the landscape and helps our forest ultimately be healthier.”