By Sonja Soo
These days, it’s hard not to hear about wildfires.
In the past several years, summers in Canada consist of wildfires (or “forest fires”) burning thousands of acres of land, forcing residents to evacuate, filling the air with smoke, and costing the government millions of dollars in fire management. This summer, wildfires returned once again across Canada. Despite only being halfway through this current wildfire season, B.C. has already surpassed the 10-year average in terms of the number of fires burned and the total area burned. In the small town of Lytton, B.C., a wildfire roared through the community and burned down most of the village within hours, destroying homes and uprooting lives.
How do these wildfires get started in the first place? Why have they been so destructive in recent years?
What starts and fuels the fires? What are some wildfire management strategies? Learn more here!