Record-breaking fire years are occurring with increasing frequency in British Columbia, causing land managers to rethink how they manage their forests. The government has been maintaining wildlife corridors which it turns out, also provide paths for wildfires. The Forest Minister intends to modify their timber harvesting procedures, creating fire breaks in the wildlife corridors.

From the Vancouver Sun:

VANCOUVER — British Columbia Forest Minister Pat Bell has introduced an overhaul of the province’s wildfire strategy to take into account the increasing frequency and intensity of forest fires brought about by climate change.

The past two fire seasons have racked up bills between three and four times the long-term average cost for fighting fires in B.C., and the growing instability in local weather patterns means things will have to be done differently, Bell said in an interview.

“We need to start thinking about how we harvest our forests to minimize the ability of fire complexes to grow together.”

In July, several small fires in central B.C.’s Cariboo region linked together through wildlife corridors to form one large fire, forcing evacuations and a very expensive firefighting operation. Harvesting forests to create man-made breaks between stands of timber that mimic the natural fire breaks exploited by firefighters could help contain fires, Bell said.

The Wildfire Management Strategy notes that “record” fire years — as measured by area destroyed — are coming with increasing frequency.

Climate models predict more of the same as temperatures rise in the north and interior of the province.

And there is some evidence that measurable climate change is already here. Average temperatures recorded in Canada’s north this past summer are among the highest in 63 years of data collection, according to preliminary figures released by Environment Canada.