Blackwell, Daniels and Simpson weigh in on 2018 fires

The forests that are burning across British Columbia are littered with millions of hectares of dead or dying trees that turn into volatile fuel for flames in conditions such as this year’s drought, experts say. The situation has persisted despite recommendations stretching back more than a decade calling on provincial and local governments to clear the forests of debris. “There’s no moisture in it anymore, because it’s dead – and when we get these drought conditions, this stuff is like a bomb going off,” said Bruce Blackwell, a North Vancouver-based forester and biologist who was a consultant on a provincial review of B.C.’s 2003 wildfire season. To date, only a small fraction of forests have been treated for fuel suppression, according to Mr. Blackwell.