Wildfires and Climate Change… what a combo. Dr. Susan Prichard came on the show to talk about how we might start to adapt our forests to the impacts of a changing fire regime due to a rapidly changing climate. What tools and methods can be used to help mitigate some of the most dangerous aspects of the fire reality we live in today.
Episode highlight
In this episode, Susan Prichard talks about using prescribed burning as a way to prevent runaway wildfires and manage climate change.
Resources
Adapting western North American forests to climate change and wildfires: 10 common questions
Asbestos and Natural Disasters
Sponsors
Giveaway
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Quotes
16.24 - 16.35: “Indigenous knowledge persists and… Indigenous people throughout western North America had a really good handle on living in fire country.”
27.49 - 27.53: ”We no longer have a no-action alternative.”
52.26 - 52.30: “We’re not preventing fires, we are changing, hopefully, the nature of fire when it comes.”
1.10.21 - 1.10.37: “As a management tool, fire is not always going to be the precision tool that we expect from management but rather good enough and worth the risk”.
Takeaways
At the cusp of management and research (04.28)
Susan thinks of herself as a forest ecologist more than a wildfire ecologist. As a teenager, she spent a lot of time in the woods with her parents and drove past many logging operations at the height of the timber harvest, which upset her. She learned in school that she could be an environmental scientist and resolved early on in life to become a forest ecologist. Wanting to be the best scientist she could be has inspired her throughout her career.
The case for adaptive management (07.42)
At the College of Forest Resources, Susan studied under Linda Burbaker, a paleoecologist who studied long-term climate change and vegetation response, and taught Susan how large and severe wildfires act as a catalyst for vegetation change. This is one of the reasons Susan is interested in adapting forests to a warmer climate. She’s been noticing similarities in fire intensity increases, fire loss patterns and fuel loading, making a case for adaptive management.
Active management of wildfire (14.00)
Susan notes that there are polarized views even in forest ecology, as there are in climate change, but that most of the people who “work on the cusp of management and forest fire ecology” are in alignment. She worked on a project of multiple papers published with her peers on the same and looks to bring in more diverse voices in the next project. She highlights the need for active management of wildfires.
The change conundrum (20.29)
Susan laments that the media has a fatalistic view of climate change which makes it feel daunting to the public. She deliberates on how to speak about wildfire management in the public. The narrative is important because of the “colonialism which has suppressed Indigenous voices for centuries”. She describes how forests have changed due to the loss of fire tending and how climate change is impacting the nature of fire.
Balancing priorities (27.02)
Susan talks about how “management is always very place-based” and that some tools work in certain places, not others. She decided with her peers on the importance of an environmental impact assessment before prescribing solutions. One of the most profound land management decisions to be made is to actively take fire out of a system, “with consequences we are living through right now”.
Thinning vs. burning (29.23)
Susan observes that prescribed burning works well to clean up the fuels that carry high-intensity fire. Combined with thinning, it helps forests achieve more drought tolerance. For oak woodlands, around which people usually live, thinning may be a better option. She also points out that sometimes, wildfires restore resiliency in forest landscapes. If we can work with wildfires to get better effects from them, we will have a landscape that is pre-treated for another fire.
The rewards of patience (35.04)
Susan has noticed burn crews practice patience so that fire can be restorative instead of aggressive. She also respects firefighting crews for the work they do in wildfire incidents. Past wildfires are studied to predict present wildfire patterns and provide consideration for planning burning. Fire-excluded landscapes become susceptible to wildfires which erode diverse habitats.
Broker a new reality with fire (45.47)
Susan’s “number 1 priority for society is to cap greenhouse gas emissions”, though we would still be living in a warm or dry climate. However, she claims that firefighting puts off 97-98% of all fires, and living well with fire is a way into the future. She speaks about the communities she has come across that are advocating to bring back cultural burning practices, and the communities that are proactively conducting prescribed burning.
Fire and smoke-adapted (49.36)
Susan talks about how people in her community in Eastern Washington are using indoor air purifiers to be prepared for the next smoke event, to protect themselves from volatile organic compounds, particulate matter, chemicals and smoke. Washington state has mandated that accommodations be made for outdoor workers in such conditions. She also met the Governor to talk about how fire cannot be prevented but that its nature can be changed.
Fire-wise and Fire-smart (53.36)
Susan has noticed an increasing acceptance of fire in the community, with people preparing their homes for a fire event. Even though it is difficult for fire-impacted communities to deal with more smoke, there is an increased acceptance of prescribed burning. Communities are learning from one another about cultural burning too, and Susan hopes to do her part as a good ally to empower Indigenous voices to be a part of land management decisions.
A can-do attitude (1.02.31)
Susan shares her learnings from a recent wildfire workshop where people shared that wildfires interrupted their land management activities, making them have to start again. There is a need for environmental laws to be faster and more responsive, she says. Supportive management, tolerance for mistakes and a certain risk appetite help fire stewardship, which will prevent any runaway wildfires. Fire is a blunt tool, so it can be sloppy, and surprises should be expected.
“Prescribed burning gets an excelled report card” (1.10.45)
Susan states that prescribed fire escapes are less than 1% in the USA. She speaks of examples where in combination with thinning, prescribed burns help prevent wildfires using the right techniques and tools. There is urgency in her approach to work because she is still concerned about wildfires burning up the forests. She wants prescribed burners to be as supported and appreciated as firefighters are, with people learning more about good fire.
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