Wildland-urban interface
 

I just saw this expression in the disaster that has overtaken Fort Mac. This is the first city I've have ever seen burn down, I guess slave lake would count too.

It also is apparent that we have no effective way of fighting this monster.

What other cities in Alberta are vulnerable to this sort of thing? I have always heard that if a wild fire ever came down the Bow Valley there would be a number of cities and towns at risk.

What does the science say that can be done to either prevent this or to make it so it doesn't get so big?

Where I live in Central Alberta, it is very dry but there aren't many trees, and the crops are gone so there isn't much fuel, but at a different time of year there sure could be.

My deepest sympathies to the people of Fort Mac, at least there has been no lose of life.

I checked out Google Earth and it seems there was no cleared buffer zone between the forest and some of the developments. I would have thought, especially in light of Slave Lake, that a fire break (100 m?) would be mandatory.
Hindsight's always 20/20.
Still having trouble believing this is happening.

I saw a few pictures showing that the Super 8 motel , Flying J card lock and the trailer park beside it burned. The forest was about 10 m from these buildings.
No fire break at all. A lot of the newer subdivisions were the same. Nothing changed even after what was learned about the Slave Lake fire.

I've driven through some very small towns in the forest that have cleared all the underbrush from around the trees. Lodgepole and Cynthia come to mind. Leaving just the trees standing. Not sure how effective something like that would be, but they must figure it helps.

I have always thought cities/towns that border the crown land should have a buffer zone, great place to put trails, ponds and sports fields. Problem is, town grows, now your buffer is inside the city.

Greenies may bitch about logging, but it is a deterrent to catastrophic fires like this one.

Grizz

Get's dry enough, you'll just get a crown fire, burns with unbelievable speed in a wind and probably what happened .

Grizz

Greenies may bitch about logging, but it is a deterrent to catastrophic fires like this one.


You are correct sir

Buffer zone
 

Crown fires are a dirty rotten SOB, but gives you a chance to make a last stand where needed with a buffer zone around a populated area.