We can no longer claim not to have been warned.
Climate change means drier summers and more wildfires on the West Coast. Metro Vancouver has had a running air quality advisory thanks to ground-level ozone and particulate matter readings.
Wildfires hit close to home with a blaze in Richmond, and smoke has been drifting across the border due to wildfires burning throughout the Pacific Northwest.
For most, the annual smell of smoke in the air and taste of soot in our mouths is an inconvenience – but if you have respiratory difficulties, it’s a threat.
While a wildfire will gladly consume anything in its path, we have had, thankfully, very few fatalities in B.C. over the years.
That’s something we owe to evacuation efforts by the authorities in the fire-plagued Interior but also to a cultural appreciation by people there for the gravity of the risk fires present.
And believe us when we say the risk is real outside of the Lower Mainland.
According to the provincial government, as of Monday, there were 27 evacuation orders affecting approximately 3,100 people (1,537 properties), in addition to 43 evacuation alerts impacting approximately 17,900 people (8,909 properties).
More than 3,400 dedicated wildfire personnel are responding to some 600 wildfires currently burning in all areas of the province. This includes BC Wildfire Service crews, contractors, municipal firefighters, industry personnel and out-of-province crews from throughout Canada, as well as Mexico, Australia and New Zealand.
Here in New West, it’s time we realized the same risk. We’re not far from the forested areas where people go to hike, camp, canoe and indulge in other forms of recreation at the driest times of year – and some of those people cause fires.
We need to no longer accept people smoking in areas where they should not be – including city parks. If you see someone throwing cigarette butts on the ground, stomp out those potential fire-starters. Don’t stand idly by.
This is especially true if you are travelling around this great province of ours. Don’t be that person who accidentally starts a wildfire due to stupidity, like ignoring the campfire ban. Wildfires, apart from being dangerous, cost taxpayers tens of millions of dollars to fight each year.
It’s so bad B.C. is now asking the feds for 200 self-sufficient personnel to perform the mop-up and patrol of contained fires.
We can all be part of the solution. That and keep pushing politicians to fight climate change.
