2024 Wildfire Season

[Cloud Cover]

Seems bad. Looks like the church on Geikei street went up.

 

[daftandbarmy]

 

[kratz]

t also renews my rage about Alberts cutting back on fire fighters, watch towers, and rap attack

I love the tight, comfy design, charm and feel of Jasper. Despite that, how can the province be blamed for so much of this? As I mentioned above, when North America's best trained, highest budgeted FD (LA county) says they can't stop urban wildfires, and the millions spent on "forrest management " is a wasted effort. How rational is it to blame the province for this? I am impressed with the efforts to slow the fire in this weather, and the communication to keep people safe throughout this fire. Tourists are often forgotten in the pre-planning and during these types of natural hazards.

 

[SeaKingTacco]

I love the tight, comfy design, charm and feel of Jasper. Despite that, how can the province be blamed for so much of this? As I mentioned above, when North America's best trained, highest budgeted FD (LA county) says they can't stop urban wildfires, and the millions spent on "forrest management " is a wasted effort. How rational is it to blame the province for this? I am impressed with the efforts to slow the fire in this weather, and the communication to keep people safe throughout this fire. Tourists are often forgotten in the pre-planning and during these types of natural hazards.

Especially since Parks Canada is the primary agency responsible for both fuel mitigation and firefighting in Jasper National Park- not the Alberta Government.

I like Jasper, too. I much prefer it to Banff. Sadly, it may be years before a visit is possible again…

 

[QV]

Attending last week’s 49th Natural Hazards Workshop in Colorado, several sessions discussed the urban interface with wildfires and various topics aligned with preparedness and mitigation for the risks from wildfires. Repeatedly, the message is clear, 90% of a successful effort is accomplished before a fire begins. Programs, such as FireSmart, removing burnable debris to 33 feet from habitable buildings and to use non-flammable building materials reduces the start of ember blown fires.

More emphasis on maintaining large fire breaks? Deadfall harvesting program? The last time I was in Jasper much of the surrounding mountainsides were devastated by pine beetles leaving huge swaths of dry dead timber just waiting to light up.

 

[daftandbarmy]

More emphasis on maintaining large fire breaks? Deadfall harvesting program? The last time I was in Jasper much of the surrounding mountainsides were devastated by pine beetles leaving huge swaths of dry dead timber just waiting to light up.

Relocating communities to less risky parts of the forest cover may be the only solution in future...

 

[Quirky]

More emphasis on maintaining large fire breaks? Deadfall harvesting program?

Increase the carbon tax 100x.

 

[PrairieFella]

Increase the carbon tax 100x.

Better yet, cancel the rebate program entirely and actually use what they have on green infrastructure and tech, R&D and climate mitigation programs. It's so fucking stupid that they take the money and redistribute it. That carbon tax could have electrified Alberta and Sask by now or funded several fission plants or built nice transit infrastructure in every Canadian major city or built seawalls or funded fusion research or hardened electrical grids or or or. It should actually be having tangible effects on GHG emissions, not performative, do-nothing income redistributions.

 

[foresterab]

Luckily they've been doing more forest management to mitigate fires in the Parks, but who knows if it will be enough....

Logging in Canada’s Most Famous National Park to Save It From Wildfires​

Still reeling from its worst wildfire season on record last year, Canada is now confronting the quick start of a new one. So-called zombie fires, which smoldered under snow-covered ground during the winter, have sprung to life and forced thousands to flee from affected cities and towns in Western Canada.

Coming out of Canada’s warmest winter in history, communities near forests are bracing for another tough wildfire season, and for a future increasingly prone to wildfires as a result of climate change.

Long-planned measures meant to protect against wildfires — like the fire guard in Alberta’s Banff park and other projects in the town of Banff — have taken on a greater sense of urgency.

Last year, a dozen fires were ignited, mostly from lightning, in Banff and two adjoining national parks, including three near the new fire guard. They were quickly extinguished.

But across Alberta, the impact of last year’s record wildfire season was “massive,’’ said Katherine Severson, director of emergency services in the town of Banff.

The increased number of fires in sparsely populated areas of Canada has affected not only nearby communities, but also distant ones, with the intense smoke they have generated floating into southern Canada and into the United States.

Logging in Canada’s Most Famous National Park to Save It From Wildfires

Trees have been cut to create fire guards in Banff, the country’s most popular national park. After its warmest winter in history, Canada braces for another season of wildfires.

www.nytimes.com

Yes Jasper logged some small areas...mostly to the north and west of town. It was patch cuts but they did a really good job at removing the post logging slash as well. But it was only a small area.

Further north of town, mostly near the air strip, they have been doing a series of prescribed fires the last few years and had opened up a decent sized area through multiple low intensity burns...but it's still not a full barrier.

Now picture a 300-400m tall wall of flame (which is what I'm hearing), a big enough fire to create it's own lightning storm (and associated winds) , in a valley, with limited breaks, full of forest and dead trees.

Add in historic buildings and variable building codes over the last century and how many houses had fire proof roofs, let alone siding and landscaping...(hint few). And in-fill building has narrowed the gap between the old 1940's homes and the modern ones meters apart.

I won't be able to process this for a few days or weeks...just keep moving forward one step at a time. The only saving grace right now is so far I have not heard of any injuries or fatalities...because frankly that might be the only win possible here.

 

[brihard]

Footage from inside Jasper this morning:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1816494189338566866

 

[PrairieFella]

Footage from inside Jasper this morning:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1816494189338566866

Devastating.