2015 wildfire stats released

By Rechell McDonald
It was a summer on fire, literally. We can all still clearly remember the mounds of news footage showing fires burning out of control all across western Canada. It was a bad fire season. Just how bad was it? These recently released statistics from Alberta Wildfire on this past fire season say it all.
From April 1 to October 31 there were at total of 1,786 wildfires in Alberta alone. More than half of them were caused by humans, with the remainder being due to natural events like lightning strikes. About 492,400 hectares of forest were leveled by these fires in the province and, for perspective, one hectare is the same as two Canadian football fields. Sixty four of those fires burned more than 200 hectares each which is three times more than the five-year average. The craziest month in the season was May which saw 101 new wildfires develop in just a 24-hour period on May 18. There were 115 days above the average severity rating level this season, a rating which is developed from environmental and weather data to quantify the potential for extreme wildfire behavior.
Fire control resources were stretched to the limits with some fire crews being imported from other countries to help out. A total of 495 seasonal firefighters were out in force throughout the season, alongside an additional 2,904 emergency and contract firefighters. More than 320 helicopters teamed up with 35 aircraft throughout the season to fight fires from above, and an additional 1,200 (and then some) pieces of heavy equipment (like tractors and bulldozers) hit the ground to help contain the spread. More than half of the fires burning in Canada were located in Alberta and British Columbia, with a total of almost four million hectares being destroyed across the country.
Although this wasn’t the most destructive fire season Alberta has ever seen, it was severe. The instances of man-made wildfires also demonstrate how necessary it is to be fire-aware. From burn piles year round, to camping, and even accidents, we all need to know how to tend a fire, when to have one and when not to, and what to do if things get out of hand. Most importantly, respect fire bans at local campgrounds and provincial parks; they are in place to protect you and the environment.