[troutman]

CBC Podcast, Quirks and Quarks:

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/quirks/quirk...fire-1.3570153

Fire has long been a natural part of the Canadian boreal forest ecosystem, but when an out-of-control raging fire threatens to wipe out a Canadian city, it opens up the question of just how "natural" this disaster is.

Dr. Mike Flannigan, professor of wildland fire at the University of Alberta, thinks this might be just a taste of things to come. Fire is a normal part of many ecosystems but the fire regime is changing in Canada, as warmer, dryer conditions, due to global warming, increase the chances of more frequent and intense wildfires. We're also putting ourselves more at risk from fire by moving into naturally fire-prone environments in ever larger numbers.

Both of these factors will oblige us to learn to live and co-exist with fire, and find ways to reduce our risk and exposure when it comes.

http://www.ualberta.ca/~wcwfs/