BC Facing Grim Outlook For Fires This Summer - Trend Likely To Continue For Years - Minister

[hatrack]

B.C. forests are headed to the blazes again this summer because forecasters are calling for hot weather, low rainfall and a relatively small snowpack.

Minister of Forests Pat Bell said Sunday that conditions are ripe for another busy fire season. “A dry and warmer than average summer is good news for but unless we’re careful, we’ll have another difficult fire season,” Bell told The Province. “I am very concerned. At lower elevations, the snowpack is non-existent. Fires have already started at the edge of some civilizations,” he said.

Bell believes the challenging trend will continue in the coming years due to “climate change.” “There is a direct relationship to climate warming, dry weather and ,” he said. “We will likely see more fires for the next number of years. Climate change is part of this.”

According to B.C.’s 2009 fire review released last week, a record $403 million was spent on 3,049 fires. The numbers are the largest since 1912 when the forest service first began operations.

EDIT

http://www.theprovince.com/news/Forests%20ministry%20bracing%20summer%20wildfires/2922457/story.html

[pscot]

1. How much good news can we stand?

n/t