Experts urge B.C. to rethink wildfire response as L.A. battles fires

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As wildfires continue to devastate parts of Southern California, experts are pointing to critical lessons that British Columbians can learn from the continuing crisis in Los Angeles.

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The most urgent takeaway: Neither B.C. nor L.A. has enough firefighters to meet the demands of increasingly extreme wildfire seasons.

In the L.A. area, several large wildfires are raging, fuelled by strong winds and persistent drought conditions, causing at least 11 deaths, destroying more than 10,000 structures — most of them homes — and forcing 130,000 people to evacuate.

With close to 2,000 firefighters stretched thin in L.A., including personnel from across the state and even out-of-state teams, José Martí, a professor of computer and electrical engineering at UBC, warns that a similar crisis could unfold in B.C. unless the province strengthens its wildfire management strategy.

“We do not have enough firefighters, and we’re seeing larger and larger fires, going uncontrolled in B.C. and now L.A.,” he said.

“With the reality of climate change, we can only reason to expect that difficult conditions like this will be ahead, and we have to anticipate and plan for this,” added Kevin Hanna, an associate professor of earth, environmental and geographic sciences at UBC.

While Hanna can’t predict exactly what 2025 will bring, he cautioned that B.C. should brace for increasingly severe wildfire seasons. These seasons start earlier, last longer and feature fires that are harder to control.

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Some B.C. wildfire experts argue that the province should prioritize preventive measures, such as fuel treatments and prescribed burning, to mitigate the risk and severity of future fires.

Martí, who is developing FireEdge — a technology designed to predict wildfire perimeter expansion in real-time — believes the main issue is a lack of resources and their effective use.

“Predicting the direction of wildfire spread is currently a guessing game, which means that immediate fire prevention and management techniques aren’t always as effective as they should be.”

On Thursday, the U.S. National Interagency Fire Center requested assistance from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which deployed two CL-415 skimmer air tankers and flight crews to assist in Southern California.

Martí says that B.C. needs to shift from a volunteer-based firefighting model to a professional, full-time force. This transition would involve more formal training, including the use of emerging technologies such as predictive fire modelling and drone-assisted monitoring — tools essential for modern wildfire management.

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B.C. has traditionally relied on mutual aid agreements with neighbouring provinces and even other countries. However, with climate change exacerbating fire risks across North America, Martí warns that this external support is no longer guaranteed.

“We need these personnel and resources to be permanent, so we can rely on them at any time and know they’ll be available,” he said.

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In 2023, B.C. faced one of its most devastating wildfire seasons on record, with more than 1,600 fires burning across the province, scorching more than 600,000 hectares, and displacing thousands of residents. That same year, B.C. Wildfire Service had 2,000 firefighters and support staff, most of whom were seasonal workers trained to fight fires.

In recent years, the B.C. General Employees’ Union, which represents wildland firefighters, has also called on the province to offer permanent salaries to wildfire fighters and contractors, rather than paying them hourly.

On Saturday, B.C.’s forests minister says a crew from the province’s wildfire service left for California to help battle the wildfires ravaging the Los Angeles area.

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Ravi Parmar said in a video posted to social media that the B.C. Wildfire Service’s crews were expected to touch down in Los Angeles late Saturday afternoon. It’s unclear how many firefighters were sent.

The fire crew was first promised by Premier David Eby, who committed the crew on Friday after a request from California’s Forestry and Fire Protection Department.

Eby says B.C. will also send ground crews to California as part of a national response to the blaze.

sgrochowski@postmedia.com

With file from The Canadian Press.

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