Climate Irony in Alberta: Version 2.0 – Below 2C
“We can’t always rely on our experience and the history of what we’ve
seen in fire; we’re moving into new territory,” said University of
Alberta wildland fire specialist Mike Flannigan, who was involved in
assessing the fire known as The Beast when it consumed much of Fort
McMurray in 2016. Flannigan’s co-authored scientific paper in 2017 predicted the most dangerous forest fires will become twice as likely to break out into unstoppable infernos in the decades to come.
seen in fire; we’re moving into new territory,” said University of
Alberta wildland fire specialist Mike Flannigan, who was involved in
assessing the fire known as The Beast when it consumed much of Fort
McMurray in 2016. Flannigan’s co-authored scientific paper in 2017 predicted the most dangerous forest fires will become twice as likely to break out into unstoppable infernos in the decades to come.
The
2.5 million hectares currently consumed during Canada’s annual fire
season add up to “half the size of Nova Scotia,” he told CBC last week,
“and it’s doubled since the early 70s due to our changing climate.”