Ottawa announces the creation of a national center aimed at strengthening preparation and interventions to forest fires, when the country seems to be one of its seasons of the most devastating fires after 2023.
The Carney government wants to invest nearly $ 12 million over four years for the establishment of the “consortium for resilience to the forest fires in Canada” (CRFC).
This will serve as a national center of excellence and virtual crossroads for pooling innovations and knowledge affecting forest fires.
He must put forward several measures provided for in the Kananaskis Charter on the forest fires approved at the last G7 summit. The CRFFC must bring together, among other things, various national and foreign governments, as well as the private sector, scientists and experts in forest fires.
“Money will be used to share knowledge, facilitate collaboration and accelerate the use of advanced sciences and technologies in prevention, attenuation, preparation and intervention in forest fires,” said Canada’s Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Tim Hodgson, at a press conference on Friday afternoon.
The CRFFC must also support the indigenous management of fire and the cultural use of fire, in order to recognize and respect indigenous knowledge in this chapter.
In addition, the idea of creating a national emergency intervention agency responsible for managing disasters is not excluded, said the Minister of Emergency Management and Communities, Eleanor Olszewski.
“Our ministry currently conducts discussions. The discussions that we have had show us that the creation of such an agency could have a very positive impact on our ability to coordinate the way in which we respond to national disasters throughout the country, “she said.
A public security representative of Canada indicated that disasters “go beyond the capacity of our emergency management system”.
According to Matthew Godsoe, principal director of the government’s operations center, the status quo is no longer possible, since this is equivalent to doing less.
Changes at government level as well as supported investments are necessary, he said during a technical information session to inform the media of the forest fire, before the press conference.
5.5 million hectares burned
Minister Hodgson said there have been more than 3,000 forest fires until now this year. On Friday, 561 forest fires burned in Canada, added Minister Olszewski.
According to data from the federal government, so far, approximately 5.5 million hectares have burned due to forest fires which are mainly raging in the west of the country at the moment.
This is one of the highest cumulative areas for this period of the year, just after the record season of 2023, or close to the area burned in 1995 on such a date, a representative of the Canadian Forest Service, Michael Norton.
He said the meadow provinces experienced a strong activity of forest fires at the end of May and early June. Saskatchewan even has its most important season ever recorded with regard to the number of people evacuated and one of the years when the burned area is the highest.
The reinforcements to help fight the fires come from all over the moment: more than 530 firefighters from Australia, Costa Rica, New Zealand, Mexico and the United States have been mobilized.
The Canadian Armed Forces have been deployed in recent days in Manitoba to support evacuation operations. Quebec with SOPFEU has also lent several provinces.
The activity of forest fires will continue to be important while the season has entered the most active period for fires, said Horton.
The danger of fire and the activity of the fires “remain high” in Western Canada where the conditions were the driest, said Norton.
“There are active fires or a danger of fire from the Yukon to the northwest of Ontario, on a large part of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. Conditions that should continue throughout the month, ”said the official.
The highest risk of fire in the country is in the Northwest Territories due to the persistent drought, he said.
With regard to August, there is a higher fire potential than normal, Norton said.
