Latest news with #wildfireprevention
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
B.C. Forest Practices Board says forestry changes could reduce wildfire risk
VICTORIA — British Columbia's Forest Practices Board says a two-year investigation has found "outdated rules and unclear responsibility" are stopping forestry from becoming a wildfire prevention tool. The board — an independent body that audits B.C. forest practices — says it examined forestry operations between 2019 and 2022 in areas where communities and forests meet, including the Sea to Sky, Cariboo-Chilcotin and Peace districts. It says fire hazard assessments are a "cornerstone of wildfire risk reduction," and while the industry assessments met 70 per cent of the requirements, fewer than one-quarter were completed on time. The board says municipalities are excluded from the definition of legal interface, a term used for fires burning close to homes, which means logging debris can remain for up to 30 months, even in high-risk areas. The report makes five recommendations to the province that it says would help support "faster fuel cleanup, better co-ordination and more consistent protection for people and communities throughout B.C." The suggestions include encouraging forest operators to actively reduce fire risk, improve co-ordination between government and industry, update legal definitions to add municipalities in the interface, modernize hazard assessment guidelines and incentivize faster logging cleanup. Board chair Keith Atkinson says more than a million B.C. residents live in areas with high or extreme wildfire risk. "Foresters are already active in these spaces. With better rules and incentives, their efforts can become part of the wildfire solution," he says in the release. "This is an opportunity to improve our policies and processes toward proactive, risk-reducing forestry. It starts with better policy and ends with safer, more fire-resilient communities." This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 19, 2025. The Canadian Press
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
They're Baaaa-ck: SDGE Deploys 300 Goats in San Diego, Launches Instagram to Spotlight Wildfire Prevention Measures
SAN DIEGO, June 17, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) is combining hooves-on-the-ground innovation with digital storytelling by launching a new Instagram account, @thegoatsdge, to spotlight its wildfire prevention efforts, just as 300 goats paraded through a San Diego neighborhood to their next grazing site. The event, which drew enthusiastic community support, is part of SDGE's broader wildfire mitigation strategy, using goats to clear flammable vegetation from transmission corridors while now also engaging the public year-round through a novel, behind-the-scenes social media platform. The goats serve as environmentally friendly "vegetation managers," adept at navigating steep and rugged terrain that is less accessible to humans or machinery. As they graze, they consume invasive plant species and their seeds, while naturally fertilizing soil. This process not only reduces erosion but also promotes regrowth of native vegetation. Since 2021, these herds have cleared thousands of high-risk acres across San Diego County. "Our goats may be a visible symbol of our wildfire prevention strategy, but they represent just one element of SDGE's comprehensive, multi-layered approach for community safety and grid resilience," said Brian D'Agostino, vice president of wildfire and climate science at SDGE. "Our record of 17 years without a major utility-related catastrophic wildfire reflects our collective measures to protect the region and continue providing our customers with safe, reliable service, today and into the future." Why goats? Their grazing activity enhances soil health by increasing nitrogen levels, fostering more resilient ecosystems. By replacing herbicides and heavy machinery, goats contribute to both environmental protection and infrastructure safety. Unlike mechanical or chemical methods, goats clear flammable vegetation without generating sparks or runoff, making them ideal for use near homes and sensitive habitats. Follow Our Goats on Social MediaTo further spotlight the importance of emergency preparedness, wildfire safety, and sustainable grazing, SDGE launched a dedicated Instagram account to share the goats' ongoing contributions: @thegoatsdge. Follow their journey as they provide wildfire prevention and safety tips year-round. Wildfire Mitigation Leadership: A 17-Year RecordSDGE's comprehensive wildfire mitigation program integrates cutting-edge technology, ecological solutions and community collaboration to help reduce wildfire risk. The program includes: Wildfire and Climate Resilience Center: One of the most technologically advanced centers in the industry, it serves as a hub for research, development and implementation of innovative solutions. The center combines AI and predictive modeling with emergency response coordination to facilitate swift and integrated action against regional threats. AI and Weather Intelligence: Operates one of the nation's most sophisticated utility-owned weather networks, applies machine learning to predict weather and better understand fire potential and utilizes a full-time utility meteorology team. Grid Resilience: Completed more than 315 miles of strategic undergrounding, installed 1,600 fire-resistant poles and conducted more than 10,000 miles of advanced LiDAR inspections, enhancing reliability and safety for our communities. Community Roots, National ImpactResidents of San Diego neighborhood Clairemont Mesa gathered to cheer as the goats made their way through the neighborhood, escorted by SDGE employees and San Diego Fire-Rescue Department personnel. "These goats are nature's wildfire prevention team, clearing brush in hard-to-reach places and helping us decrease our year-round fire risk," said San Diego Fire-Rescue's Fire Information Officer, Capt. Jason Shanley. "We love that we get to work with the real 'G.O.A.T's of the fire service, and we are grateful for their partnership and hard work to help us keep the community safe and preserve the environment!" As wildfire seasons intensify nationwide, SDGE's innovative approaches, from deploying goats to leveraging AI and advanced technologies, are influencing industry practices throughout the energy sector. About SDGESDGE is an innovative energy delivery company that provides clean, safe and reliable energy to better the lives of the people it serves in San Diego and southern Orange counties. The company is committed to creating a sustainable future by increasing energy delivered from low or zero-carbon sources; accelerating the adoption of electric vehicles; and investing in innovative technologies to ensure the reliable operation of the region's infrastructure for generations to come. SDGE is a recognized leader in its industry and community, as demonstrated by being named Corporate Partner of the Year at the San Diego Business Journal's Nonprofit & Corporate Citizenship Awards and receiving PA Consulting's ReliabilityOne® Award for Outstanding Reliability Performance for 19 consecutive years. SDGE is a subsidiary of Sempra (NYSE: SRE), a leading North American energy infrastructure company. For more information, visit or connect with SDGE on social media @SDGE. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE San Diego Gas & Electric (SDGE) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
CTV News
7 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
N.S. and P.E.I among provinces to commit funding to federal wildfire program
Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island were among the seven provinces and territories to join the federal government in a $104 million commitment to wildfire prevention and resilience efforts through the Government of Canada's Resilient Communities through FireSmart (RCF) Program. 'FireSmart Canada is a key part of our national wildfire prevention and mitigation efforts,' said Natural Resources Canada in a news release. 'The funding announced today will help enhance FireSmart programming and support the provinces and territories in increasing capacity and assisting community-based projects to help prevent wildfires and mitigate their impacts, including Indigenous communities that are disproportionately threatened by wildfires.' The Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre (CIFFC) leads the FireSmart program. The federal government will spend $9.1 million over five years on the RCF program through the centre. Nova Scotia's Minister of Natural Resources said Wildfire is everyone's responsibility. 'Through our partnership with the federal government, we're continuing to help people adopt the FireSmart principles around their homes and in their communities so we can avoid the devastation and upheaval that wildfires can cause,' said Minister Tory Rushton. Canada and Nova Scotia will spend an additional $821,130 over fiver years through the RCF program. Canada and Prince Edward Island will each spend an additional $510,000 over four years. 'It is great to see more Islanders and local communities embracing FireSmart principles, and we are committed to increasing our prevention, mitigation and response efforts,' said Gilles Arsenault, Prince Edward Island's Minister of Environment, Energy and Climate Action.
CBC
08-06-2025
- General
- CBC
Stopping wildfires with trees: How thousands of aspen seedlings could help protect Whitehorse
Crystal To walked through a barren, burnt landscape — over ash, dirt and the soot-black remains of small charred stumps. She slammed a small shovel into the ground, wiggled it back and forth to create a hole, and placed a small aspen seedling into the blackened earth. "It's not easy," she said. "But it's kind of relaxing." To is part of a small crew of tree planters who are slowly filling the Whitehorse South fuel break with aspen. It's her first time doing the job. The goal of the fuel break is to protect the capital city from wildfires by creating a natural barrier, removing all the highly flammable conifers in an 800-hectare area and replacing them with more fire-resistant aspens. The Yukon government began work on the fuel break in 2020, near the Mary Lake subdivision. It's one of the first such projects in Canada, and the goal is to have it finished by 2032. The aspens are being planted by the thousands every summer. This year, 232,000 seedlings will be planted. For tree-planters like To, each seedling that goes into the ground translates into a paycheque. "What's interesting about [tree-planting] is that you get paid by the tree, so if you're faster, you get paid more," she said. The most trees To has planted in an eight-hour shift is 1,620. She says she won't think of herself as a true tree-planter until she tops 2,000 seedlings in one day. Under her current contract, To is making 16 cents per tree. The pay rate can change, however, depending on how well the trees are planted. Planters try to plant as many trees as possible, but they also have to pass a quality check — also known as pay plots. Kate McDonald and Dakota Crawford, fuel management technicians with Yukon Wildland Fire Management, are partly responsible for pay plotting. Wearing high-visibility red vests, they walk through parts of the burnt land that have already been planted. "We're checking that the density is correct and that the trees have been planted well. We give them a score and then these plots determine how much they're paid — so it's a pretty important part of the plant," said McDonald. Plots are measured using two-metre cord to trace a circle in the land. All the trees in that circle are then counted and checked for quality. Crawford threw the plot cord into the air, watching where it landed several metres away from him. "That's how we pick the plot," he said, chuckling. "Sometimes they'll use mapping software, but this is easier because you don't have to find exact co-ordinates." McDonald and Crawford traced the plot and counted 19 trees. "We're aiming for 20 here, they got 19, and 19 to 21 is within the acceptable range. So it looks great," said McDonald. They check each tree individually, to make sure they're not planted too deep, too shallow or on too much of an angle. They also look for any air pockets in the soil around the seedling — without soil contact, the roots won't be able to grow. Another common problem is the "j-root," which happens when the soil plug of a seedling is jammed into the ground and it bends to make the roots look like the letter J. Those seedlings won't survive. Out of the 19 trees in the plot, they found one j-root. McDonald took a photo of it before they moved on to randomly select another plot to check. "That's the first j-root we've found so far. The checks we've done in this block have been really good," McDonald said. She inspected another plot of seedlings — plants that may one day help protect Whitehorse from a major wildfire. "I want them to do well," she said.
Arab News
28-05-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Study outlines forest fire prevention plan
RIYADH: The National Center for Vegetation Cover Development and Combating Desertification has completed a study to enhance forest protection and reduce wildfire risks in support of environmental sustainability goals. Titled 'Forest Fire Prevention and Post-Fire Recovery in the Southern and Southwestern Regions of Saudi Arabia,' the study was conducted in collaboration with King Khalid University and Monash University in Australia. It includes an assessment of forest conditions and risk factors, the development of a digital database, and a review of preventive measures and community practices, the Saudi Press Agency reported on Wednesday. The study proposes an integrated response plan involving relevant agencies, with defined roles and the use of modern tools such as early warning systems and drones. It also offers field designs and sustainable alternatives for strategic firebreaks, a post-fire recovery guide, a performance evaluation tool, and a framework for joint operations. To support this, the study outlines a mechanism for engaging local volunteer teams in forest areas through training, capacity-building, and coordination with authorities. The study demonstrates institutional, technical, and community collaboration in forest protection. It reflects Saudi Arabia's efforts to preserve natural resources and address climate-related challenges while balancing development with ecosystem conservation. The national center continues to promote sustainable vegetation cover and has launched an initiative to plant 60 million trees — equivalent to restoring 300,000 hectares — by 2030.
