"the provincial government and forestry companies have said the solution to managing wildfires is to cut down older forests because they are more susceptible to burning, but she disagrees.
“Old forests and mature forests are actually more resilient to wildfires than younger forests,” Earl said. “When they do burn, in a lot of cases, they actually burn at a lower intensity and so those fires don’t kill the whole land and they don’t travel as far.” But with the amount of industrial clear cutting that is happening, there are more young forests regenerating that tend to be more dry than older forests, making them more susceptible to an intense wildfire." |
Dr. Rachel holt, an independent ecologist in the Kootenays found, “There is no evidence that old growth burns more often than other ages of forest,” she says. In contrast, “intense plantation forestry, characterised by young forests and spatially homogenized fuels, are significant drivers of wildfire severity.”
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We see more evidence of this in the 2023 ABMI - Effects of 2023 Wildfires in Alberta Report. During the massive wildfires of 2023, more forests under 60 years old burned, than forests over 60 years old.
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If clearcutting won't save Bragg Creek, what will?
The good news, is that there is an answer to this question and it's fully in your control. Study after study shows localized Fire Smarting on your own property provides the greatest protection to your home. Going through the FireSmart Home Assessment is the most effective step to protecting your home from future wildfire, regardless of what happens to the forest surrounding you. |