The Daily

Fighting Canada’s Unending Fires

26 snips
Aug 4, 2023
David Wallace-Wells, climate columnist for The New York Times, shares insights on Canada’s record-breaking wildfires. He highlights the dire impact of climate change, explaining how rising temperatures fuel unprecedented fire intensity. Firefighters face immense challenges, often prioritizing human safety over vast blazes. Wallace-Wells discusses the emergence of 'zombie fires' and the need for innovative management strategies, like 'good fire' practices, to adapt to this evolving threat. It’s a crucial call to rethink wildfire responses in a changing climate.
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ANECDOTE

Firefighters' Challenging Experience

  • Firefighters battled a large, volatile fire along the Alaska-Canada Highway for 11 days, working long shifts.
  • The fire's intensity made it challenging to contain, with embers igniting unburned fuels, highlighting the need for more resources.
INSIGHT

Unprecedented Fire Scale

  • Canada's wildfires have burned 30 million acres, three times the largest US fire in 50 years.
  • The scale of these fires makes them almost impossible to extinguish with current resources.
ADVICE

Prioritizing Resources in Wildfires

  • When fires are uncontrollable, prioritize saving human lives, homes, and critical infrastructure.
  • Accept that letting some remote, uninhabited areas burn is part of the strategy.
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