To fight wildfires, bring back preventative burns

“Cultural burns incinerate debris dropped on the ground by dead trees—fuel just waiting for a spark.”

I don’t need to remind anyone how bad 2023 has been: fires burning on both coasts due to unseasonably hot temperatures, 120,000 people forced to evacuate, and ecosystems devastated by warming ponds, sterilized soil and insect infestations. On top of that, 80 per cent of Indigenous people—who support the preventative application of fire—are located in Canadian forests that are now prone to wildfire. Canada needs to bring the good kind of burn back.

Forestry agencies, businesses, local fire departments and governments will need to collaborate with Indigenous knowledge keepers to conduct widespread prescribed burns across Canada in a safe way. Some locations will need to be logged, which will require heavy, expensive machinery and buy-in from commercial partners. Going forward, urban planners will need to consult with local First Nations about how to properly fireproof cities.

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