Opinion: Return to prescribed fires would have benefits

British Columbia has experienced a significant increase in wildfire activity in the last decade, and if predictions from government fire scientists come true, we can expect to see further increases in burned area and cost in the coming decade. With each catastrophic fire season since 2003 there has been calls to dramatically increase the use of prescribed fire in B.C. as a means of limiting the damage. Properly executed prescribed fires can, for a period of time, provide numerous ecological, social and economic benefits. Prescribed fire was a popular tool used by the province and forest industry to reduce harvesting slash (hazard abatement), improve tree growing opportunities, and improve wildlife habitat.