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I was planning on slowing down but demand for training is growing. I have several upcoming courses. This course has also been called “The Enhanced S100” and is designed for everyone who lives, works or recreates in rural and remote BC and may have to deal with a wildfire without organized help. Participant reviews indicate […]
Read MoreWe can’t ignore response training. The current situation is a mess and I fear a tragedy is pending. Improving safety for workers and the public is my key concern. We don’t just wait for organized help to find us in remote or rural BC for other situations. Self-rescue is a key component of all avalanche […]
Read MoreI am shutting things down until January and heading for the trails. One of my fondest memories in my forest career is heading home on the last day of work before Christmas in a crew cab full of folks, a load of firewood in the box, a couple of Christmas trees strapped on top, and, […]
Read MoreI worked on a wildfire this summer then spent the fall doing layout for salvage harvest and assisting with the fire rehab. It gave me a chance to revisit the area mentioned in my Aug. 4 post (link below) and add to my observations on improving the wildfire resilience of our regenerated stands. Don’t Neglect […]
Read MoreThe recent discussions about forming a federal wildfire response agency have generated a lot of discussion and opinions from experts on where to focus our taxpayer money. Should we increase our response capacity or increase fuel modification? As is usual the answer is a bit of both. Our wildlands are in such poor condition we […]
Read MoreI am just finishing up the summer field season which included Line Location and Construction Supervision on a few fires in the Southern Interior of BC. Except in periods of very low fire behavior we lost fires in preserved and unmanaged land. This included parks, streamside (riparian) reserves, wildlife tree patches, special management zones (OGMA, […]
Read MoreLate last month I worked on a fire that re-burned very intensely on a site that previously burned in 2018. . This is the shortest interval and most intense re-burn I have experienced. The fire occurred in the Southern Interior. When I was given the location I relaxed a bit. The site had burned at […]
Read MoreManaging post harvest fuel loads is the best thing we can do to protect our next generation of trees but there is more we can do. In Lodge-pole Pine (Pl) stands, we should be establishing earlier crown closure through increased density of planted and natural trees. This will more closely mimic fire origin forests which […]
Read Morehttps://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/clearcutting-tied-to-18-fold-increase-in-flood-risk-ubc-study-1.7594426 The recent alarmist headlines and poor journalism is misleading the public into thinking that clearcutting is the leading cause of large floods. The reporting was very narrow and one-sided. None of the articles I have read researched or presented any alternate viewpoints. I am wading through the original report that is the subject of […]
Read MoreI am just back from working with a heavy equipment group on a few wildfires and once again marvel at the value these folks bring to wildfire response. The forest industry in BC is facing numerous and well documented external and internal pressures. The industry has been in decline for years and I fear it […]
Read MoreI sent this 10 minute presentation out to my customers to make sure they are aware of the research so they can make better decisions in the field. Let me know what you think. Having an at least adequate Safe Zone is a key component of LACES and Wildfire Entrapment Avoidance. All wildland fire fighters […]
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