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Alberta wildfire season ’10 times more severe’ than recent averages, province says

Alberta wildfire season ’10 times more severe’ than recent averages, province says

The official conclusion of Alberta’s 2023 wildfire season on October 31 was marked by a staggering record: 1,092 wildfires consumed an unprecedented 2.2 million hectares, as reported by the Alberta government.

While the total number of fires aligned with the five-year average of 1,100 for the 2018-2022 period, the extensive area burned witnessed a tenfold surge compared to the 190,000-hectare average during the same timeframe. The province characterized this season as “10 times more severe,”.

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Rebuilding process in the Shuswap following wildfires expected to be lengthy

Rebuilding process in the Shuswap following wildfires expected to be lengthy

Following the destructive fire in the Shuswap community of British Columbia, residents affected by the disaster now face new hurdles as they begin the rebuilding phase.

In an effort to accelerate the reconstruction process, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District has removed a temporary moratorium on building permits in the south Adams Lake and Shuswap Lake areas to carry out geotechnical assessments.

These assessments have uncovered an elevated risk of unstable grounds in the North Shuswap and some of its adjacent areas.

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High school students learning to become firefighters

High school students learning to become firefighters

Every Friday, nearly a dozen students from Livingstone Range School Division are enrolled in firefighting training and gather at the Granum fire hall for three hours. During these sessions, they learn the ins and outs of the profession.

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As Alberta’s record fire season ends, planning begins for next year’s fight

As Alberta’s record fire season ends, planning begins for next year’s fight

The officially designated 2023 wildfire season in Alberta we concluded on Tuesday, marked by the scorching of a staggering 2,214,957 hectares of land. This amount surpassed the previous five-year average by more than tenfold, establishing a record as the most extensive wildfire destruction in recorded history.

Throughout the season, which witnessed a total of 1,094 fires, over 38,000 residents were evacuated due to the escalating threat posed by the wildfires.

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