The 2015 annual forest assessment by Natural Resources Canada says a warming climate will contribute to a 50 per cent increase in large fires, new tree diseases and more insect infestations. “Climate change is gradually imposing an increasing trend on forest fires, a trend that is partially masked by the large variability of this disturbance,” says the report. A warming climate needs to combine with changes in rainfall, ignition sources and high winds to create conditions for the really big fires. Forest fires forced the evacuation of 125 communities affecting about 15,000 people in 2015. “We don’t want to say necessarily the sky is falling, but it should motivate some concern and activity,” Taylor said of the latest forest report.

Source: thestar September 28, 2016 13:10 UTC