A Case for Greater Investment in Wildfire Management

Again, in 2021, record-breaking wildfires burned in British Columbia, fuelled by the heat dome, drought, wind and excessive forest fuels. …The costs are in the billions of dollars, without accounting for the indirect price of trauma and smoke on human health or damages to drinking water and wildlife habitat. Again, we find ourselves calling for urgent transformation of forest and fire management to reconfigure our forests and communities to be resilient to wildfires fuelled by climate change and outdated forest practices. …Funding is prioritized on communities with high housing density and in the driest parts of the province – as a result, large communities, often with expensive homes, get the lion’s share of the money. …Going “big and bold” for B.C. does not mean spending $50B over 10 years. Instead, it requires a significant shift in wildfire and forest management objectives and a change in priorities.