More wildfires are coming

The unseasonably warm December in Toronto felt disconcerting to me. In various parts of the country, the warm temperatures broke records. So far in January, skiers have been disappointed by the lack of snow. The Rideau Canal in Ottawa might not freeze for a second year in a row. Meanwhile, in British Columbia, more than 100 “zombie fires” are actively burning. I had never heard of zombie fires but apparently they are holdovers from last summer that typically go dormant over winter; this year, they’re reigniting. Whatever’s happening, it’s not normal.

John Vaillant predicted all of this in his essay for the Maclean’s Year Ahead issue. Valiant’s book Fire Weather, about the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire, received tremendous international attention and appeared on several best-of-the-year lists. In his essay for Maclean’s, Vaillant describes the impact his book had on one reader. A resident of a small town in B.C. read Fire Weather and realized his town was a textbook fire trap. He hired a fire safety consultant and, with other municipal leaders, came up with a much better plan for fire preparedness. Vaillant says we can expect fires that are bigger, faster and hotter everywhere in Canada, and he recommends that we all follow in the footsteps of his B.C. reader and map out plans for our communities. Our lives might depend on it.

—Sarah Fulford, editor-in-chief

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FROM THE JANUARY/FEBRUARY ISSUE

Immigration, LGBTQ+ rights and language laws will raise provincial hackles, while Justin Trudeau’s long-time leadership might be on shaky ground. Meanwhile, the next Oval Office occupant will have a ripple effect on Canada’s relationship with its closest neighbour. Read our top 10 predictions for Canadian politics in 2024.

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