Forest Fire Catastrophe a Sign of Neglect!

As I sit here looking out over my smoke filled village, I have come to the conclusion that the forest fire catastrophe in the West could have been far less traumatic if the people of Canada had been more proactive.  First, let it be said that I have very limited experience with forest fires.  I spent a very, very brief time at a fire lookout station back in the sixties.  Also back then I was commandeered to fight a forest fire.  That lasted less than two days!  

I did learn that forest fires destroy valuable resources.  They kill both men and critters. Man made structures are at their mercy. They are very hard and exhausting to fight.  And they can be better controlled if they are caught early!

Here's what I think Canada should do to stop what is happening in B.C. now.

• Build more look-out stations or towers in forested areas. These would act as early warning sites so fires could be spotted and attacked early.
• Create more "forest fire first responders" who can be brought into a fire early. 
• Build, equip and staff more forest fire halls, much like urban fire halls across the forested areas.
• Build more forest fire fighting aircraft like the Canadair CT415 which could be placed at more fire stations like the one in Rocky Mountain House.
• Hire more full time forest firefighters.
• Encourage more controlled burns to reduce the amount of undergrowth which can fuel a fire for months.
• Attack all forest fires.  We can no longer afford to "let nature take its course"!
• Create a national forest fire response system which could coordinate the moving of personnel and equipment to fight fires across Canada.

Would this be expensive?  You bet your bippy!   But when you consider the cost of fighting those fires and the destruction they create, it might just turn out to be a good investment!   I think it is the responsibility of the federal, provincial, and municipal governments to work together with the forest industry to build this strategy.  Remember Slave Lake, Fort Mac, and that huge grass fire in Saskatchewan among others.  I think it's time we do the math!