Climate Change and Fire Management
January 31, 2023 @ 9:00 am - 10:00 am
January 31, 2023
9:00am – 10:00am PST
Climate Services Speaker Series: Climate Change and Fire Management, Dr. Mike Flannigan
Our climate and associated day-to-day weather are changing rapidly due to human activities that may have dramatic and unexpected impacts on regional and global fire activity. A warmer world means a longer fire season, more lightning activity, and most importantly drier fuels. Drier fuels means it is easier for a fire to start, to spread and it means more fuel is available to burn that leads to higher intensity fires that are difficult to impossible to extinguish. Existing studies suggest regional increases in fire occurrence and area burned although there is significant temporal and spatial variability. Our fire regime is driven by extremes, and we expect an increase in frequency and intensity of extreme fire weather episodes. Climate change will likely mean more wildfire in the future for many regions of the world including Canada. We will have to learn to live with wildfire.
Jeremy Fyke will discuss an ongoing project to develop future projections of fire weather indices across Canada under climate change.
Note that the official webinar will run from 12PM to 1PM ET, however you are welcome to join us for an unofficial question and discussion period from 1PM to 1:30PM ET. This session will be delivered in English.
