The main causes of fire in rural B.C. are lightning, and human activity.
That isn’t just arson, or even tossed cigarette butts. Grass fires and brush fires are caused every year by the hot engines of cars, ATVs, and farm equipment, by camp fires, by illicit fireworks, and by hot tools.
One way to reduce fires would simply be to reduce our access to parts of B.C.’s back country. But that would also hurt local economies – how would small towns survive without tourism?
Do you think reducing tourism during forest fire season is something we should consider?