2024 Wildfire Season

[Haggis]

I'm relieved there is a big jump in carbon tax coming in April, just in time to slow down this climate crisis.

Thank you JT!

Already happened. I went to buy gas yesterday. Saw a price on the pump of $1.44.9. Parked at the pump, walked around the truck and in those very few seconds the price reset to $1.50.9.

 

[dapaterson]

Already happened. I went to buy gas yesterday. Saw a price on the pump of $1.44.9. Parked at the pump, walked around the truck and in those very few seconds the price reset to $1.50.9.

That's not the tax, that's the O&G industry gouging customers.

 

[MilEME09]

Hopefully the all this snow we are supposed to get this week will help with the fires.

We need a month of snow/rain to make a dent

 

[PrairieFella]

We need a month of snow/rain to make a dent

That's the kicker. They'll need a month straight of 3mm of rain or the slow melt of a few feet of snow. In droughts the ground gets so dry that water can't absorb quick enough so you just get flash floods. Droughts are bloody tricky things. If the government's out West were smart, they'd be investing in cisterns. Hedge your bets by storing as much water as possible and ban all irrigation draws from the rivers. It's rapidly becoming unsustainable.

 

[dapaterson]

That's the kicker. They'll need a month straight of 3mm of rain or the slow melt of a few feet of snow. In droughts the ground gets so dry that water can't absorb quick enough so you just get flash floods. Droughts are bloody tricky things. If the government's out West were smart, they'd be investing in cisterns. Hedge your bets by storing as much water as possible and ban all irrigation draws from the rivers. It's rapidly becoming unsustainable.

See: California and much of the US west.

 

[QV]

That's the kicker. They'll need a month straight of 3mm of rain or the slow melt of a few feet of snow. In droughts the ground gets so dry that water can't absorb quick enough so you just get flash floods. Droughts are bloody tricky things. If the government's out West were smart, they'd be investing in cisterns. Hedge your bets by storing as much water as possible and ban all irrigation draws from the rivers. It's rapidly becoming unsustainable.

Not sure cisterns would do it. But more dams and reservoirs maybe.

 

[Kirkhill]

Not sure cisterns would do it. But more dams and reservoirs maybe.

I have already seen our local farmers that rely on the irrigation district canals to water their crops dewatering the roadside ditches and pumping that catchment water into their sloughs kilometers away.

 

[PrairieFella]

I have already seen our local farmers that rely on the irrigation district canals to water their crops dewatering the roadside ditches and pumping that catchment water into their sloughs kilometers away.

Robbing Peter to pay Paul. These farmers will have to adopt the old ways instead of the cash-heavy ways and realize that they probably can't grow bloody alfalfa or to a lesser extent canola in a semi-arid environment. Wheat and pulses would be a lot more sustainable in terms of water consumption.

 

[Kirkhill]

Robbing Peter to pay Paul. These farmers will have to adopt the old ways instead of the cash-heavy ways and realize that they probably can't grow bloody alfalfa or to a lesser extent canola in a semi-arid environment. Wheat and pulses would be a lot more sustainable in terms of water consumption.

The big cash crops in this desert are potatoes, sugar beets and corn.....

There is a reason why the first folks out here were ranchers.

 

[PrairieFella]

The big cash crops in this desert are potatoes, sugar beets and corn.....

Which is true. I just mention alfalfa and canola as they're thirsty corps. Hell, alfalfa needs up to 600mm of precipitation in a season. That's insane in the Alberta dry summer.

 

[Kirkhill]

Which is true. I just mention alfalfa and canola as they're thirsty corps. Hell, alfalfa needs up to 600mm of precipitation in a season. That's insane in the Alberta dry summer.

Palliser wasn't wrong. And all of Galt's Mormons can't make it better.

 

[Cloud Cover]

A timely article from the Globe and Mail article republished by Castanet (a very popular British Columbia news accumulator website) discussing how the Armed Forces are likely expected to take on an even greater share of Wildfire fire fighting. It seems like nobody is listening to the CDS.

Preparations begin for coming wildfire season after last year’s strain on military resources - Canada News

After last year’s record-breaking wildfires across Canada, preparations have begun in the hopes of mitigating the strain on military resources.

www.castanet.net

 

[PrairieFella]

A timely article from the Globe and Mail article republished by Castanet (a very popular British Columbia news accumulator website) discussing how the Armed Forces are likely expected to take on an even greater share of Wildfire fire fighting. It seems like nobody is listening to the CDS.

Preparations begin for coming wildfire season after last year’s strain on military resources - Canada News

After last year’s record-breaking wildfires across Canada, preparations have begun in the hopes of mitigating the strain on military resources.

www.castanet.net

The governments of Canada have just stopped pretending to listen. The CDS is a DM at best, an ADM more realistically. No one has ever really gave a shit what they say. That's how they're allowed to push the boundaries of the government line from time to time; no one cares what the CDS actually says.

 

[dapaterson]

The governments of Canada have just stopped pretending to listen. The CDS is a DM at best, an ADM more realistically. No one has ever really gave a shit what they say. That's how they're allowed to push the boundaries of the government line from time to time; no one cares what the CDS actually says.

The current CDS is paid the same pay range as the DM. The amount of consultation with the CDS by the PM, GAC, CSE and CSIS, plus international allies, would surprise you.

The ARAs of the CDS, however, are radically different from those of the DM.

 

[Cloud Cover]

Robbing Peter to pay Paul. These farmers will have to adopt the old ways instead of the cash-heavy ways and realize that they probably can't grow bloody alfalfa or to a lesser extent canola in a semi-arid environment. Wheat and pulses would be a lot more sustainable in terms of water consumption.

Alfalfa is fine. The roots go down 3-5 feet and the top plant requires very little water. Our farm is in the North Okanagan and we’ve been in drought since roughly 2021. The problem though, is that low moisture alfalfa has very high sugar content and you have to be careful with the animals.
We don’t grow much wheat around here. Fields are not big enough, I guess. We don’t to use far more of our land for livestock grazing especially at higher altitudes.

 

[Cloud Cover]

This CBC article discusses First Nations cultural practices of setting fire to the forest. They would like you to believe these were controlled burns.

https://www.cbc.ca/newsinteractives/features/making-friends-with-fire

 

[Brad Sallows]

This CBC article discusses First Nations cultural practices of setting fire to the forest. They would like you to believe these were controlled burns.

Who's on the hook for costs if a controlled burn becomes uncontrolled?

 

[Rifleman62]

Who's on the hook for costs if a controlled burn becomes uncontrolled?

The CAF.

 

[foresterab]

Who's on the hook for costs if a controlled burn becomes uncontrolled?

It's part of the issue for igniting prescribed burns....it's the igniting agency that caused it and may be held liable not just for burn damages but indirect effects. The US uses a position called the "Burn Boss" who signs off that the burn is valid, within paramaters for weather, fuel conditions, and has the needed support...and there are several court cases going on currently where the Burn Boss has been arrested and/or charged with negligence due to escapes/becoming an uncontrolled wildfire.

Canada tends to use the role of an Incident Commander but most agencies again use a series of checks. Burns may be cancelled not due to conditions on site for example but due to forecasted wind events coming in, fires breaking out in other area that would put response in conflict (support burn or new starts), or new intelligence coming in last minute.

With the authority/legal power to light a fire also comes with the responsibility to contain and control it.

 

[RangerRay]

It's part of the issue for igniting prescribed burns....it's the igniting agency that caused it and may be held liable not just for burn damages but indirect effects. The US uses a position called the "Burn Boss" who signs off that the burn is valid, within paramaters for weather, fuel conditions, and has the needed support...and there are several court cases going on currently where the Burn Boss has been arrested and/or charged with negligence due to escapes/becoming an uncontrolled wildfire.

Canada tends to use the role of an Incident Commander but most agencies again use a series of checks. Burns may be cancelled not due to conditions on site for example but due to forecasted wind events coming in, fires breaking out in other area that would put response in conflict (support burn or new starts), or new intelligence coming in last minute.

With the authority/legal power to light a fire also comes with the responsibility to contain and control it.

How dare you inject “facts” and “reason” into an internet discussion!