05 Jul Wildfires – no longer the exception
The sky shines an eerie orange over Canada and North America, as Canada officially records its worst wildfire season to date.
Teams from across the world united and raced to Ontario to tackle ravenous blazes stretching across the dry land of Canada, a nation which previously was known for its colder temperatures.
Climate change is having an unquestionable impact, with wildfires no longer being sparse at world events, now becoming more common than ever. Animals, structures and lives are all lost as blazes continue to roll through terrain and poison the air with smoke. Global temperatures have been hotter than the historical average for more than 40 consecutive years, and nine of the 10 warmest years on record have occurred since 2005.
How can Fire teams around the world keep wildfires in check?
Many fire teams and firefighters themselves have little say in the global arrangements battling climate change, however, they have direct responsibility for the Wildland-Urban interface.
The area in which construction work crosses into dry, woodland areas. Dry forests, natural and artificial exist in many regions across the world. Through proper safety etiquette, essentially, correct use of the equipment and using less combustible materials, teams can limit fire spread and have greater control over an existing site.