Beneficial fire will be essential to reducing wildfire risk and promoting wildfire resilience, according to a report by the POLIS Wildfire Resilience Project, based at the University of Victoria’s Centre for Global Studies.
Beneficial Fire in British Columbia: An Exploration of How Fire Can Contribute to Wildfire Resilience, released today, explores the concept of beneficial fire, which offers an important shift away from the view that fire is bad. Fire is a necessary part of most ecosystems in BC. And beneficial fire is a positive force that should be encouraged.
“To promote wildfire resilience, society can increase the amount of beneficial fire and reduce the amount of detrimental fire”
~ Kevin Kriese, report co-author and senior wildfire and land use analyst at the POLIS Wildfire Resilience Project
Over the past decade, wildfires in BC have broken numerous records, resulting in significant social, economic and ecological impacts. Addressing this wildfire crisis will require a whole-of-society approach that includes improving governance, expanding proactive strategies that mitigate risks to ecosystems and communities, improving knowledge of wildfire and growing capacity among governments, communities and industry.
Report authors define beneficial fire as planned or unplanned wildland fire that has positive effects on ecosystem processes and functions and has acceptable risk to human communities. Beneficial fire typically includes cultural fire (Indigenous-led) and prescribed fire and managed wildfire.
“Promoting beneficial fire requires increasing the amount of cultural fire, as well as prescribed fire,” says Kriese. “There are a growing number of projects across BC led by Indigenous governments, the provincial government and local communities that are putting fire back on the land. This is cause for optimism.”
In addition, when they don’t threaten communities, wildfires can provide ecological benefits. Communities can take steps to reduce risks from wildfire, such as FireSmart projects. Then, under the right conditions and in the right places, some wildfires can be allowed to do important ecological work.
The authors recommend and describe four opportunities for action to advance beneficial fire as part of a whole-of-society strategy to promote wildfire resilience in BC. One key aspect is the need for better information and awareness about the benefits of fire. With better information, communities can understand when fires are providing ecological benefits and when they are posing unacceptable risks.
“Ultimately, it’s communities that evaluate and manage risk and trade-offs to determine what kinds of fire are beneficial, so strong place-based governance is a priority.” said Andrea Barnett, report co-author and project facilitator and analyst at the POLIS Wildfire Resilience Project. “Through place-based planning and decision-making, communities can become more wildfire resilient. They can assess to decide where and when to promote more beneficial fire or continue to suppress fires that have unacceptable risk.”
The POLIS Wildfire Resilience Project offers practical solutions to advance wildfire resilience in British Columbia. As part of an international network, we focus on the nexus of resilience and governance, working with all levels of government, Indigenous nations, local communities, industry, experts, researchers, and civil society to offer new perspectives, innovative ideas, and practical solutions. The goal of the Wildfire Resilience Project is to create a more secure future for communities and ecosystems by promoting a wildfire regime that lies within nature’s limits and reduces catastrophic wildfires. Our work is rooted in the principles of ecological governance and resilience with a firm goal of strengthening watershed security. Over the coming years, we will imagine and promote a new B.C. wildfire management and governance regime that helps position B.C. as a leader in wildfire resilience.
