After a depressingly damp spring, summer appears to have arrived in a hurry, bringing record mid-May temperatures. A look at the crowds around beaches and creeks over the weekend indicates just how ready we are for a change of seasons.
You might also have seen crowds of unfamiliar firefighters rushing around the North Shore, conducting drills this past weekend for the Wildfire Resiliency and Training Summit. And you might have detected the smell of smoke in the air coming from a fire burning in Belcarra.
The stark reality is a rapidly warming climate means wildfires are only going to become more frequent and more ferocious. That we have avoided a serious wildfire on the North Shore for so long is as much about luck as it is preparation. For many communities in Alberta and Northern B.C., that luck is running out.
The devastation underscores the need to decarbonize our homes, industry and transportation and do it quickly. But even as that transition happens, we need to make fire prevention a priority on a cultural level. In peak season, around 40 per cent of wildfires are human caused. This time of year, almost all of them are the kind Smokey Bear warned us about.
All three of our North Shore local governments are participants of the FireSmart BC program, which means they have people on hand who can provide all the information you need to protect and prepare your home during wildfire season. Before you mow the lawn or cool your heels in the creek again, give them a call and get started.
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