There is a new issue in the fight against forest fires in northwestern Ontario.
Northwest Region Fire Response Coordinator for the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry Darren McLarty says climate change is now a reality to deal with.
McLarty notes its become a complex issue and the best approach is ensuring firefighters are prepared for anything.
“The challenge for us is understanding what the implications of climate change will be, and on top of that, trying to prepare and mitigate the potential issues that we’re gonna see,” says McLarty.
McLarty says changes will be subtle but progressive so the Ministry will need look to building an organization that will be able to adapt and respond accordingly.
However he also notes there are a lot of unknowns including the severity of fires, the number of blazes and how they handle budgeting.
“Are we gonna see more fires on the landscape, fewer fires or more extremes in weather. Are we gonna see longer fire seasons which impact on our how we are funding and how our resources are available.”
The forest fire season officials got underway April 1.
