As fires continue to rage in Alberta, where more than half a million hectares of Canadian forests have been decimated since May 5, a report The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) reminds this Thursday, May 18th, that the planet is experiencing one “Proliferation of extreme fires”. Revealed on the edge of Eighth International Forest Fire Conference In Porto, Portugal, the document warns that the phenomenon will continue to increase in all global warming scenarios and calls for a review of prevention measures.

“Unsustainable Land Use Practices and Environmental Degradation” by humans are partly responsible for the situation as deforestation and drainage dry up ecosystems. Added to this is the influence of climate change, which creates more favorable conditions for fires. The latter are thus more frequent, more intense and “Around the world, the fire season is 27% longer today than it was in 1979.” “This trend will not reverse any time soon” In the preamble to the report, Jo Tyndall warns against the environmental orientation of the OECD. This duration of the fire season could be extended by another thirty to forty days depending on more or less optimistic scenarios, particularly in the Mediterranean, northern Europe, Australia, South America and the western United States. -United States .

Fire to prevent fire

Despite major advances in the mobilized means of control, “Extreme fires show the limits of what is possible. Some operations require a multi-month deployment, straining the resources of fire departments whose ability to contain the damage is limited. Simultaneous fire outbreaks increase the risk of death. Therefore, it is important that countries reinforce upstream mitigation of wildfire and vegetation risks. and that additional funds will be mobilized for this purpose, the report states.

The authors recommend that forests and peatlands be better protected and restored so that these ecosystems become healthier and thus more resilient. A greater variety of landscapes and more buffer zones can help limit the spread of fires. In order to avoid the accumulation of too much vegetation in the forest, the voluntary and controlled lighting of a fire by professionals to clear the land (we speak of controlled burning) is recommended. This is an ancient technique used mainly in Australia, Canada or the United States, and is also making progress in France.

Stricter urban planning regulations are also needed to limit the exposure of local residents to fires. “In France and Portugal, the construction of new buildings in areas with a ‘high’ or ‘very high’ risk of forest fires is generally prohibited.”, notes the OECD. Buildings made of less combustible materials, protected by metal screens and spark arrestors are better shields.

post-traumatic stress

The report examines in detail the consequences of the “extreme fires“. “[Ils] cause social, environmental and economic upheaval”, recalls the OECD, which brings together more than thirty industrialized countries. The financial damage caused by the major fires reached record levels in California and Australia. The loss of human life or destroyed houses, for ecosystems or the deterioration of air quality are also increasing. In Canada, for example, where the area burned has tripled in 60 years, air pollution from fires is expected to double again by 2050. This could lead to even more “Respiratory and cardiovascular diseases and neurological disorders”.

Claims are finally putting mental health at risk. “The traumatic experience of being caught up in a forest fire, combined with the displacement of the population and the loss of homes, livelihoods and personal belongings, can result in severe psychological trauma.” unveils the OECD document. For example, after the 2016 extreme wildfire in Fort McMurray, Alberta, Canada, 60% of the evacuees suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder.