With the return of wildfire season in Alberta and Canada, it is interesting to look back on past seasons and consider the money and time being invested in increasing the number of tourists to our forests. What happens when those tourists arrive and find the air filled with smoke?

The province is purchasing more water bombers for wildfire management, but the first will not arrive for at least five years. I guess we “make do” in the interim and pray for timely rains, even as summer 2026 is predicted to be drier and hotter than normal.

Climate experts tell us this weather trend is going to continue. Canada’s forests are extensive, and it is impossible and undesirable from an ecosystem perspective to clean out all the existing forest fire fuel. We are in a war with these out-of-control wildfires and need to treat them accordingly.

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There are several things that can be done.

Rapid response. Time........

© Calgary Herald