In 2024, nearly 1,700 wildfires burned a combined one million hectares of land in British Columbia. Roughly 160 evacuation orders or alerts affected over 15,000 properties province-wide.
One-third of wildfires are caused by human activity, the Province estimates, with the rest being attributed to natural factors (most commonly lightning).
Whether man-made or nature-triggered, controlling and mitigating the damaging effects of these wildfires is important work. They cannot be eliminated, but they can be managed.
Prevention is the best medicine, which involves improved forest management. But once a fire has sparked, the next best approach is putting it out quickly—and that’s where recent investments and modern technologies are starting to help.
“Our first priority is to ensure that people and communities have the tools and resources they need to stay safe during emergencies,” stated Kelly Greene, who functions as BC’s Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness.
The Province is “expanding the number of firefighting tools available to crews to provide broader response capabilities.” This includes upgrades to firefighting equipment and fire-camp infrastructure, as well as more on-the-ground firefighting equipment, such as pumps, safety gear, and medical supplies.
“I want to thank the hardworking members of the BC Wildfire Service who put their lives on the line every day to protect British Columbians and their communities from the devastating impact of wildfires,” said Ravi Parmar, Minister of Forests.
In addition, a unique wildfire training and education centre was conceived. Based out of Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, the program will offer wildfire training and education, progressing from basic field skills to academic diploma and degree tracks.
But it might be the adoption of emerging technologies that is proving most effective in combating nature’s wrath.
For example, the Province is leveraging predictive software that harnesses real-time information from the field to better predict how wildfires behave. Night-vision imaging systems represent another advancement for the field. And a revamped BC Wildfire app offers better tools for people to stay informed and prepare for emergencies.
Some local companies innovating the war against wildfire include Vancouver’s SenseNet, whose AI-powered cameras and sensors detect fires early, and Port Coquitlam’s Tree Track Intelligence, which utilizes modern drone technology to help restore biodiversity to lands affected by wildfire, especially those difficult for humans to access. FireSwarm out of Squamish is another example.
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