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Editorial: Drive home message about fire safety

According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, 420 of the 1,950 wildfires that created havoc across our province this year were caused by humans.

According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, 420 of the 1,950 wildfires that created havoc across our province this year were caused by humans. Some of those were due to wilful negligence, such as starting a campfire in a prohibited area or throwing a live cigarette butt out a car window.

Some were due to careless use of incendiary devices such as matches, lighters or flare guns. Others were traced to burn barrels or waste-wood burning.

It is infuriating to realize that a significant portion of the damage caused by wildfires need never have occurred. Worse still, it appears we haven’t learned this lesson.

It has been estimated that about 40 per cent of forest fires over the past 10 years were caused by humans. That translates into about 660 fires a year, on average.

It’s hard to put a total dollar value on the costs involved. Last year, the province spent $568 million fighting fires. This year, the figure is $275 million and counting.

But there are other costs involved. In 2017, 65,000 people had to leave their homes. Many local businesses suffered.

We don’t have final figures for the current year, but certainly several thousand homeowners have been forced to evacuate their houses, with some properties destroyed. And while there is no easy way to estimate the health impact, smoke-filled skies are guaranteed to drive up hospital visits and increase the use of drugs for respiratory disorders.

Solutions are more difficult to define. Last year, which was the worst on record, fires consumed roughly one million hectares of timber.

But B.C. has more than 60 million hectares of forest land. The challenge of managing such a sprawling resource is enormous.

Part of the problem is the aging of our forests. Forty years ago, B.C. had 18 million hectares of trees more than a century old. Today, that number is 25 million.

The mountain pine beetle infestation that peaked in 2005 has also played a role. Huge tracts of dead timber provide a ready supply of tinder for wildfires.

Some mitigation efforts are under way. Fire Smart Canada encourages homeowners at risk to clear brush around their property. And controlled burns are being used to create fire breaks.

But the reality comes down to this: We have no way to control natural causes of wildfires, such as lightning strikes. And hotter summers are forecast for years to come.

While the preferred means of limiting this growing threat is through public education, the time might have come to strengthen punitive measures.

Two years ago, the fine for lighting a fire against regulations was increased to $1,150. The fine for failing to comply with a fire-control order was raised to $575.

Those are hardly a slap on the wrist, and yet they have obviously proved insufficient to stamp out wilful, negligent behaviour.

By comparison, the fine for driving without a licence ranges up to $2,300. But the consequences of starting a wildfire that could cost millions to fight and displace uncounted homeowners, are surely at least as serious.

Would a crackdown do any good? It did when tougher fines and vehicle impounding were introduced to combat drunk driving and traffic deaths. Road safety improved.

True, measures such as these can appear heavy-handed, but the wildfire epidemic has reached crisis proportions. While more money is needed for preventive services, it is becoming clear this will not by itself suffice.

By one means or another, public attitudes must be changed. Ideally, this should be done through information campaigns that stigmatize reckless behaviour.

However, stronger punitive measures should not be ruled out, if that’s what it takes to drive home the message.