‘Hotter and drier’ conditions in forests will create greater fire risk in coming decades, Senate committee hears, as House continues Jasper study

Canada’s climate is warming at twice the global rate—and three to four times faster in the North. This means hotter and drier conditions in our forests, which increases forest flammability, says Wilfrid Laurier University’s Jennifer Baltzer.

'There are people across this country who choose to live in rural and remote communities, and we do that knowing that there’s risks involved,' said Sonja Leverkus, a professor, ecosystem scientist, and prescribed fire specialist at Shifting Mosaics, Northern Fire WoRx Corporation, and the University of Alberta.Photograph courtesy of Canadian Armed Forces/Cpl. Marc-André Leclerc

News

BY STEPHEN JEFFERY

October 7, 2024

As a House committee continues to probe the factors leading to fires that devastated Alberta's iconic Jasper National Park earlier this year, a Senate committee has heard that the scale of recent wildfire seasons could substantially change Canada’s forests if climate chang...

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