Latest news with #CanadianAssociationofFireChiefs
2 days ago
- Politics
As Canada wildfires choke US with smoke, Republicans demand action. But not on climate change
The sternly worded statements and letters are filled with indignation and outrage: Republican U.S. lawmakers say Canada has done too little to contain wildfires and smoke that have fouled the air in several states this summer. 'Instead of enjoying family vacations at Michigan's beautiful lakes and campgrounds, for the third summer in a row, Michiganders are forced to breathe hazardous air as a result of Canada's failure to prevent and control wildfires,' read a statement last week from the state's GOP congressional delegation, echoing similar missives from Republicans in Iowa, New York, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. They've demanded more forest thinning, prescribed burns and other measures to prevent fires from starting. They've warned the smoke is hurting relations between the countries and suggested the U.S. could make it an issue in tariff talks. But what they haven't done is acknowledge the role of climate change — a glaring and shortsighted omission, according to climate scientists. It also ignores the outsized U.S. contribution to heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels like coal and gas that cause more intense heat waves and droughts, which in turn set the stage for more destructive wildfires, scientists say. 'If anything, Canada should be blaming the U.S. for their increased fires,' said Jennifer Francis, a climate scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. On Tuesday, the Canadian government announced almost $46 million in funding for wildfire prevention and risk assessment research projects. But Corey Hogan, parliamentary secretary to the federal energy and natural resources minister, said international cooperation is needed. 'There's no people that want to do more about wildfires than Canadians,' Hogan said. 'But I think this also underlines the international challenges that are brought on by climate change ... we need to globally tackle this problem.' The country has 'been fighting wildfires in this country at unprecedented rates since 2023,' when Canada saw its largest wildfire on record, said Ken McMullen, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs. This year's first fire started in April, one of the earliest on record, and 2025 is now the second-worst year. As of Thursday, more than 700 wildfires were burning across the country, two-thirds of them out of control, with more than 28,000 square miles (72,520 square kilometers) burned in 4,400 wildfires so far this year, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. That's almost five times the surface area that's burned so far in the U.S. this year. Most wildfires are started by people, sometimes on purpose but mostly by mistake, though McMullen said lightning is the culprit in many of Canada's fires, especially in remote areas. McMullen said he has no interest in debating the role of climate change, but data show that something has changed. Sloughs and basins have dried up and water that once lapped at people's back doors in Canada's lake communities now is often hundreds of feet away. 'People can make up their own mind as to why that is,' he said. 'But something clearly has changed.' President Donald Trump has called climate change a hoax — a belief echoed by many in the GOP — and his administration has worked to dismantle and defund federal climate science and data collection, with little to no pushback from Republicans in Congress. He's proposed to revoke the scientific finding that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare — the central basis for U.S. climate change action. He's declared a national energy emergency to expedite fossil fuel development, canceled grants for renewable energy projects and ordered the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, aimed at limiting long-term global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) above preindustrial levels. The Associated Press reached out to more than half a dozen Republicans who criticized Canada but none returned phone calls or emails. Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine said the wildfires are jeopardizing health and air quality in her state, too, but faulted Republicans for failing to meet the crisis head on — beginning by acknowledging climate change. 'Rather than accept this reality and work together to find proactive, common-sense solutions for preventing and mitigating these fires, Republicans are burying their heads in the sand,' she said. Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore, a Democrat, criticized her Republican colleagues' letter to Canada's U.S. ambassador, saying those 'who are in denial about climate change shouldn't be writing letters prescribing people's actions to try to contain it.' McMullen, the Canadian wildfire expert, said battling the fires isn't as simple as many seem to believe. The country and its territories are vast and fires are often in remote areas where the best — and sometimes only — course of action if there are no residents or structures is to let them burn or 'it is going to just create another situation for us to deal with in a year or two or 10 or 20 years from now,' McMullen said. Prescribed burns to clear underbrush and other ignition sources are used in some areas, but aren't practical or possible in some forests and prairies that are burning, experts said. McMullen has advocated for a Canadian forest fire coordination agency to help deploy firefighters and equipment where they're needed. But as for stopping worsening fires, 'I don't think there's much they can do,' said University of Michigan climate scientist Jonathan Overpeck. He noted that hotter temperatures are melting permafrost in northern Canada, which dries out and makes the vast boreal forests far more likely to burn. Instead, the two countries should collaborate on climate change solutions "because our smoke is their smoke, their smoke is ours,' Overpeck said. 'As long as this trend of warming and drying continues, we're going to get a worsening problem. 'The good news is ... we know what the cause is ... we can stop it from getting worse.'
Winnipeg Free Press
2 days ago
- Politics
- Winnipeg Free Press
As Canada wildfires choke US with smoke, Republicans demand action. But not on climate change
The sternly worded statements and letters are filled with indignation and outrage: Republican U.S. lawmakers say Canada has done too little to contain wildfires and smoke that have fouled the air in several states this summer. 'Instead of enjoying family vacations at Michigan's beautiful lakes and campgrounds, for the third summer in a row, Michiganders are forced to breathe hazardous air as a result of Canada's failure to prevent and control wildfires,' read a statement last week from the state's GOP congressional delegation, echoing similar missives from Republicans in Iowa, New York, North Dakota, Minnesota and Wisconsin. They've demanded more forest thinning, prescribed burns and other measures to prevent fires from starting. They've warned the smoke is hurting relations between the countries and suggested the U.S. could make it an issue in tariff talks. But what they haven't done is acknowledge the role of climate change — a glaring and shortsighted omission, according to climate scientists. It also ignores the outsized U.S. contribution to heat-trapping gases from burning fossil fuels like coal and gas that cause more intense heat waves and droughts, which in turn set the stage for more destructive wildfires, scientists say. 'If anything, Canada should be blaming the U.S. for their increased fires,' said Jennifer Francis, a climate scientist at the Woodwell Climate Research Center in Cape Cod, Massachusetts. On Tuesday, the Canadian government announced almost $46 million in funding for wildfire prevention and risk assessment research projects. But Corey Hogan, parliamentary secretary to the federal energy and natural resources minister, said international cooperation is needed. 'There's no people that want to do more about wildfires than Canadians,' Hogan said. 'But I think this also underlines the international challenges that are brought on by climate change … we need to globally tackle this problem.' The country has 'been fighting wildfires in this country at unprecedented rates since 2023,' when Canada saw its largest wildfire on record, said Ken McMullen, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs. This year's first fire started in April, one of the earliest on record, and 2025 is now the second-worst year. As of Thursday, more than 700 wildfires were burning across the country, two-thirds of them out of control, with more than 28,000 square miles (72,520 square kilometers) burned in 4,400 wildfires so far this year, according to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. That's almost five times the surface area that's burned so far in the U.S. this year. Most wildfires are started by people, sometimes on purpose but mostly by mistake, though McMullen said lightning is the culprit in many of Canada's fires, especially in remote areas. McMullen said he has no interest in debating the role of climate change, but data show that something has changed. Sloughs and basins have dried up and water that once lapped at people's back doors in Canada's lake communities now is often hundreds of feet away. 'People can make up their own mind as to why that is,' he said. 'But something clearly has changed.' Denying climate change President Donald Trump has called climate change a hoax — a belief echoed by many in the GOP — and his administration has worked to dismantle and defund federal climate science and data collection, with little to no pushback from Republicans in Congress. He's proposed to revoke the scientific finding that carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases endanger public health and welfare — the central basis for U.S. climate change action. He's declared a national energy emergency to expedite fossil fuel development, canceled grants for renewable energy projects and ordered the U.S. to withdraw from the Paris Climate Agreement, aimed at limiting long-term global warming to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit (1.5 degrees Celsius) above preindustrial levels. The Associated Press reached out to more than half a dozen Republicans who criticized Canada but none returned phone calls or emails. Democratic Rep. Chellie Pingree of Maine said the wildfires are jeopardizing health and air quality in her state, too, but faulted Republicans for failing to meet the crisis head on — beginning by acknowledging climate change. 'Rather than accept this reality and work together to find proactive, common-sense solutions for preventing and mitigating these fires, Republicans are burying their heads in the sand,' she said. Wisconsin Rep. Gwen Moore, a Democrat, criticized her Republican colleagues' letter to Canada's U.S. ambassador, saying those 'who are in denial about climate change shouldn't be writing letters prescribing people's actions to try to contain it.' Difficult solutions McMullen, the Canadian wildfire expert, said battling the fires isn't as simple as many seem to believe. The country and its territories are vast and fires are often in remote areas where the best — and sometimes only — course of action if there are no residents or structures is to let them burn or 'it is going to just create another situation for us to deal with in a year or two or 10 or 20 years from now,' McMullen said. Prescribed burns to clear underbrush and other ignition sources are used in some areas, but aren't practical or possible in some forests and prairies that are burning, experts said. McMullen has advocated for a Canadian forest fire coordination agency to help deploy firefighters and equipment where they're needed. Wednesdays What's next in arts, life and pop culture. But as for stopping worsening fires, 'I don't think there's much they can do,' said University of Michigan climate scientist Jonathan Overpeck. He noted that hotter temperatures are melting permafrost in northern Canada, which dries out and makes the vast boreal forests far more likely to burn. Instead, the two countries should collaborate on climate change solutions 'because our smoke is their smoke, their smoke is ours,' Overpeck said. 'As long as this trend of warming and drying continues, we're going to get a worsening problem. 'The good news is … we know what the cause is … we can stop it from getting worse.' ___ The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at
Time of India
6 days ago
- Climate
- Time of India
With wildfires out of control in Canada, authorities urge creation of National Wildfire Agency
Canada is battling one of its most intense and prolonged wildfire seasons on record, with over 7.3 million hectares scorched nationwide. As wildfires rage from coast to coast, experts and officials are urgently calling for the establishment of a national wildfire agency to better coordinate resources and response efforts. Ken McMullen, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs , told CTV News that wildfire seasons have only worsened in recent years. 'The benefit of a national administration is really around coordination and the reallocation of resources all across Canada in times when they need it the most,' he said. McMullen emphasized the need for a federal body that allows fire chiefs to have a direct role in shaping fire-related policy and managing resources efficiently. Productivity Tool Zero to Hero in Microsoft Excel: Complete Excel guide By Metla Sudha Sekhar View Program Finance Introduction to Technical Analysis & Candlestick Theory By Dinesh Nagpal View Program Finance Financial Literacy i e Lets Crack the Billionaire Code By CA Rahul Gupta View Program Digital Marketing Digital Marketing Masterclass by Neil Patel By Neil Patel View Program Finance Technical Analysis Demystified- A Complete Guide to Trading By Kunal Patel View Program Productivity Tool Excel Essentials to Expert: Your Complete Guide By Study at home View Program Artificial Intelligence AI For Business Professionals Batch 2 By Ansh Mehra View Program Season that keeps getting worse Newfoundland and Labrador Premier John Hogan announced on Sunday(August 10) that one of the province's major wildfires had surged from 3,000 to over 5,000 hectares overnight, fueled by hot temperatures and high winds. The fire threatens to reach communities like Ochre Pit Cove, with reports of multiple structures impacted, though officials are still verifying the full extent of the damage. Meanwhile, in Ontario's Kawartha Lakes region, fire crews are battling a 27-hectare blaze in the Burnt River area, where downed trees from a recent ice storm have made conditions particularly hazardous. Live Events On the west coast, the BC Wildfire Service continues to fight the out-of-control Wesley Ridge wildfire on Vancouver Island, using night-vision helicopters and drones to monitor hotspots. Despite minimal overnight growth, hot and dry conditions persist, raising concerns of increased smoke for nearby communities. According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, there are currently more than 700 active wildfires across Canada. Many experts have described this year's wildfire season as the second-worst on record after 2023. Flannigan has long advocated for a national wildfire agency, distinct from the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs' calls, which would have the power and resources to rapidly deploy personnel and equipment anywhere in the country. While provinces and territories share responsibility for fire management and often assist one another, delays in deploying resources can cost precious time. For example, Quebec firefighters and aircraft have taken days to arrive in Alberta during recent fires, hampering effective containment efforts. In Newfoundland, despite assistance from New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario, some crucial assets have been delayed or canceled due to maintenance issues or commitments fighting fires elsewhere. Canada's Ministry of Emergency Management and Community Resilience acknowledged the challenges ahead in a statement, citing ongoing efforts to improve wildfire response through better coordination and resilience-building initiatives. McMullen added that while national coordination efforts exist, much of the wildfire battle begins locally, often stretching municipal firefighters who are increasingly relied upon to support wildland firefighting efforts.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
‘There's just too many fires': Calls grow for national wildfire agency
Smoke from the Dryden Creek Wildfire, is shown just north of Squamish, B.C., on Wednesday, June 11, 2025. The intense wildfire season in Canada is expected to be drawn out well into the winter, and already 7.3 million hectares of land from coast to coast have been scorched, renewing calls that a national fire administration is needed more than ever. Ken McMullen, president of the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs, says wildfire seasons continue to get worse, and the country needs to be better prepared. 'The benefit of a national administration is really around coordination and the reallocation of resources all across Canada in times when they need it the most,' McMullen told CTV News. 'That's really a position within the federal government that allows fire chiefs to have the right place, at the right time, to have conversations on fire-related policy at the federal level.' The call comes as the premier of Newfoundland and Labrador, John Hogan, announced in a press conference Sunday that one of the significant wildfires in that province has grown overnight due to hot temperatures and high winds. 'I think it's safe to say that it's over 5,000 hectares now. And just to put it in perspective, it was 3,000 hectares yesterday morning,' said Hogan. 'Fire projections show that the growth may reach Ochre Pit Cove this evening.' Hogan added that there have been confirmed reports of more structures impacted by the fires over the weekend, including in Adam's Cove, Kingston, and Western Bay. But due to smoke and conditions, officials aren't able to confirm which structures have been destroyed. 'To all the residents in their communities, please know our hearts are with each and every one of you,' said Hogan. In Ontario, dozens of fire crews across the Kawartha Lakes region are working to contain an out-of-control wildfire in the Burnt River area. City officials say 27 hectares of land are actively burning in a heavily wooded area where damage from the winter ice storm has created hazardous conditions. 'Yesterday it was very scary because you could literally look at the end of our driveway and see big plumes of dark smoke,' said resident Michelle Burgess. No evacuations have been ordered as of yet, but conditions are being monitored. And on the west coast, BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says the Wesley Ridge wildfire on Vancouver Island had minimal growth overnight but is still burning out of control and is classified as the only wildfire of note in that province. 'Night-vision-equipped helicopters were active late into the evening, dropping water to cool the western edge of the fire high up on Wesley Ridge,' said Madison Dahl, BCWS information officer, Sunday morning. 'Overnight, a drone was used to scan for hotspots in the residential areas of the fire.' Dahl said temperatures in the high 20s over the weekend mean more smoke in the area and that the hot and dry conditions are expected throughout the week. 'The public is likely going to see an increase in smoke,' She said. 'So, as the fire gets a little bit more heat and that direct sunlight, we can expect to see a lot more smoke.' According to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC), there are currently more than 700 active wildfires raging across the country. Mike Flannigan, wildfire expert at Thompson Rivers University in Kamloops, says the Canadian wildfire season is on track to be the second-worst on record, second only to the 2023 wildfire season. Flannigan has been calling for a national wildfire agency for years to work alongside local agencies to manage the surge in wildfires in the country. He says it differs from what the Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs is calling for in that a national agency would have resources deployed across the country where they are needed in a timely manner. 'There's just too many fires. There's not enough resources. We call on help from around the world and some of the Canadian Armed Forces, but we should be able to handle this on our own,' he said. Flannigan says fire management is the responsibility of provinces and territories, and each jurisdiction can share resources, but sometimes those resources don't get there in time. 'Let's say Alberta is on fire and Quebec sends firefighters or helicopters,' he said. 'It takes three days for that firefighter to get in that line.' In Newfoundland, resources from New Brunswick, Quebec, and Ontario are helping to battle the infernos, but Premier Hogan said there are delays for some of the crucial assets they are waiting for. 'The two Quebec ones are here. Unfortunately, two of the other Quebec assets we were expecting over the weekend have had to cancel due to maintenance issues on those aircraft,' said Hogan. 'The two water bombers from Ontario, we've been advised, are delayed as they deal with wildfires in their own province.' In a statement to CTV News, the Ministry of Emergency Management and Community Resilience said, 'While elements of the current wildfire management system work well—such as the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, which plays a critical role in coordinating resources and expertise between provinces and territories—we recognize the growing challenges posed by wildfires and the need to strengthen our response. Work is already underway to identify and advance options to improve Canada's wildfire response capacity, including better coordination across jurisdictions and building long-term resilience.' 'That sounds great,' said Flannigan. 'But let's do it. We've been talking about this for years. It's time for some action and less talk.' McMullen says he acknowledges the coordinated support from CIFFC but says more needs to be done. 'What they're missing there is the remembrance that every fire starts locally when it comes to our municipal side. And that's where we're seeing the lack of coordination,' he said. 'Today, more than ever, we're relying on municipal firefighters to support wildland firefighters.'
CBC
08-08-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Fire chiefs call for Ottawa to move forward with national agency to fight forest fires
Social Sharing The Canadian Association of Fire Chiefs says it's time for Ottawa to stop studying the idea of a national forest fire co-ordination agency and take action. The organization's president wants the federal government to take inspiration from the U.S. Fire Administration to establish a similar office in Canada. The U.S. office is part of Federal Emergency Management Agency, or FEMA, but Ken McMullen said a Canadian version could be simpler and less costly. He said the proposed fire administration office, which could be staffed by one or two people, would ensure that personnel and equipment are appropriately dispersed across the country in the event of wildfires. It would also allow security and fire services to have a seat at the table when relevant policies are being discussed. WATCH | Australian firefighters arrive in Edmonton to help battle Alberta wildfires: Australian firefighters arrive in Edmonton to help battle Alberta wildfires 3 days ago Twenty-one new wildfires have flared up in our province since Monday, but Alberta crews are now getting some relief. A group of Australian firefighters has arrived to help in the northern part of the province. The Canadian government has been studying the possibility of creating a national disaster response or co-ordination agency ever since the record-breaking forest fire season in the summer of 2023. McMullen said it's time to start making decisions. This year could also go down in history as one of the worst in terms of fires. 'We just need it to start' "We will call it whatever they want us to call it," McMullen said of the proposed office. "We just need it to start." He said the information needed to create an agency is already there. "We just have to get moving and make decisions," said McMullen, who is also fire chief in Red Deer, Alta. McMullen said fire officials could be involved in helping to develop different areas of policy, and cites Ottawa's housing initiatives as an example. "We hear things like, 'we need to build more, we need to build faster, and we need to build cheaper,"' he said. "The fire chiefs, what we don't hear in that is we need to build safely." He believes the April federal election and the arrival of a new prime minister have caused delays. The ACCP has not yet met with new Emergency Management Minister Eleanor Olszewski, but has been in contact with her office. The Department of Public Safety told The Canadian Press that Olszewski "will work closely with her cabinet colleagues to explore and advance options to improve co-ordination and response capacity at the federal level." Over the past two years, Ottawa has studied various models that exist around the world and met with emergency management experts, the department added. "These preliminary discussions have revealed that any solution must reflect the realities of the Canadian federation, including the leadership of provinces, territories, local communities, and Indigenous governments in emergency management," the statement said. "The work done to date is helping to shape the approach being developed by the current government." Under Justin Trudeau's administration, McMullen had opportunities to talk with the former prime minister and members of his team, but he notes that "it didn't happen overnight." "It takes a long time to form relationships," he said. He said his group had been "extremely optimistic" about Trudeau's willingness to agree to the ACCP's request to create a national fire management office, but the prime minister's resignation, the prorogation of Parliament, and election of a new government put the project on hold, he said. McMullen hopes the issue will move forward this fall when Parliament resumes.
