When I left Nordegg on the morning of Labor Day Monday, conditions were the smokiest I had ever experienced. Heavy smoke rolled in from the forest fires in British Columbia and the Northwest Territories. You could not even see Eagle Peak, across the Highway from the subdivision. Even Coliseum Mountain, on the flanks of which the subdivision is constructed, was shrouded by dense smoke. This is certainly a terrible year for fires.
There is no doubt that the climate is changing and the warm, dry conditions in some areas of the country are contributing to the increase in fires. But, a large number of fires are human caused. And the population of the western provinces in Canada has doubled over the last couple of decades. Access to the wilderness is much more readily available, and there are a lot more people out in the bush. It only makes sense that with double the population and easier access, we should expect more than double the past number of fires. Sad but true....
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