By: Olivia Visser, Copy Editor
You don’t have to look far to find news about wildfires impacting communities across Canada. It seems like every year BC experiences its “worst wildfire season” on record, and the issue isn’t just local. Greece, Spain, and Hawaiʻi endured devastating fires this year, among other locations. What’s concerning isn’t just the fact that many sit back and act like nothing can be done in the long-term — news headlines and social media posts severely underscore the role climate change plays in large-scale wildfires, arson or not.
Recurring extreme heat events result in “dry weather” and dry vegetation, which is a perfect environment for wildfires to both ignite and spread. Climate Atlas of Canada explains that the increasing number of hot summer days makes BC forests “much more flammable.” They also point out extreme heat provides a suitable climate for the destructive mountain pine beetle, which has damaged over “18 million hectares of forest” since the 1990s, further drying up vegetation. Resources Canada asserts these “fire-prone conditions” could double the “area burned by the end of this century.” And don’t kid yourself into thinking this is a problem for the future — we’re watching these predictions unfold in real-time.
Large-scale wildfires have occurred in BC for hundreds of years, before colonizers ever stepped foot on this land. Indigenous fire keepers have used traditional knowledge to “cleanse” dry, fire-prone land for ages. Today, Indigenous fire knowledge holds significant value that finds itself overlooked following colonialism. Many of today’s fire suppression techniques actually exacerbate forest fires, compounding the effects of climate change. Indigenous peoples have long been excluded from forestry decisions, which disproportionately impacts their communities. Including Indigenous input is a step towards a more sustainable and decolonial approach in our forest management response.
Some believe historical fires are evidence these most recent fire seasons are “natural” climate events. However, the last 40 years point to a more concerning “era of mega-wildfires,” according to The Globe and Mail. BC’s wildfire season summaries reveal the area burned by wildfires each season has increased from 265,000 hectares in 2003 to 1,354,284 in 2018. Numbers vary each year, but the continuous upward trend points toward a serious problem. The BC Wildfire Service told CBC that 1,458 of this season’s fires were caused by lightning, compared to 450 human-caused wildfires. Why are people giving more attention to human factors than the climate crisis itself, which exacerbates these factors?
News outlets are often preoccupied with platforming all ideas, without context, regardless of their credibility. A recent headline from National Post, titled “Stop blaming forest fires on climate change,” illustrates this point. And if you’re wondering whether headlines like these are simply clickbait, the text boasts equally reactionary rhetoric: “Eco-activists and environmental NGOs want us to believe that there is a climate crisis.” (Spoiler alert: there is). Other publications like CBC are more forthcoming about the science behind wildfire events, but they still can’t entirely divert the damage caused by misleading content. It also doesn’t help that even the most credible publications still use titles that undermine the climate crisis; CTV News published an article last year titled, “Nearly all fires started so far this year were human-caused.”
Of course, there is truth behind claims of human-caused wildfires. Publications generally aren’t lying when they state these facts. Brazil’s ongoing Amazon arsons come to mind, but BC forests also suffer from arson, as well as preventable fires from folks who throw cigarettes on the ground or have illegal campfires. Since climate change contributes to ideal wildfire conditions, something as small as a tossed cigarette can start a large-scale wildfire rather than a smaller bushfire. But when news sources only briefly elaborate on climate change in a single paragraph halfway down the page, can we really expect most readers to thoughtfully examine the facts, or even care at all?
A 2022 study for the Journal of Consumer Psychology found that 59% of people who share links on X (formerly Twitter) don’t even open the articles they post. Headlines that prioritize human involvement in wildfires are like gold to climate deniers. You don’t need to actually read an article to share it and say to yourself: “See? The climate crisis is exaggerated.” Excessive or unbalanced coverage of human-caused wildfires doesn’t just foster complacency, either. It feeds into “climate hoax” conspiracies, ending up on social media timelines as evidence climate activists are overreacting.
In a more extreme example, when wildfires devastated communities across Maui this August, social media users claimed the fires were intentionally set by the Hawaiian government. Another tweet from a popular US-based account claimed to have “irrefutable evidence” of “directed energy weapons” being used by the Chinese government to cause wildfires. Replies ranged from people agreeing but questioning China’s involvement, to pointing out that “Oprah’s place was untouched in the surrounding destruction,” as if that means anything. And while it’s easy to assume these people are a loud minority, climate change is increasingly becoming a partisan issue, even though Republicans like George H.W. Bush promoted environmentalism and cautioned against what was then-known as “global warming” in the 1980s.
Fast forward 40 years, and the climate situation has only deteriorated. Politicians have taken anti-climate stances to stir division, and news companies have happily hopped onto the clickbait bandwagon to soak up shares from conspiracists. There’s no single solution for climate change, but it’s clear the way we approach these conversations isn’t working. News companies: it’s time to do your part in dispelling misinformation, even if it comes at the expense of your extremist readers. There’s no reason why climate change should be excluded from wildfire coverage. Social media users: be careful about the media you consume and share. Go beyond “thoughts and prayers” and make climate activism a priority on your timeline and in your personal life when possible. Indigenous peoples have been caretakers of this land since time immemorial, and it’s time to recognize that.
It’s easy to feel defeated when corporations and governments are the main contributors to climate change, but don’t let yourself forget that real change often follows community activism. You do have a voice amid the climate crisis. Attend protests, have conversations, support mutual aid, and pressure your local government to divest from the fossil fuel industry and recognize Indigenous sovereignty.
Check out the links below for local non-profit and grassroots organizations fighting climate change:
