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In this podcast episode, Peter McCully talks with John Valiant, the author of Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast.

In May 2016, Fort McMurray, the hub of Canada鈥檚 petroleum industry and America鈥檚 biggest foreign supplier, was overrun by wildfire and drove 88,000 people from their homes in a single afternoon.

Vaillant warns this was not a unique event but a shocking preview of what we must prepare for in a hotter, more flammable world.

Vaillant says that approximately 200,000 Canadians have been forced to evacuate their homes at some point during the summer of 2023.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 the population of Regina,鈥� said Vaillant. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 a major Canadian city that has been forced from their homes. Wildfire for Canadians now is really a national security threat. It鈥檚 a threat to public health and safety, but it鈥檚 also a threat to our national security. It鈥檚 so destabilizing to have the entire city of Yellowknife basically on the road.鈥�

The conversation delves into the growing threat of wildfires in the context of climate change and the devastating impact on communities in British Columbia, Alberta and the Northwest Territories.

Vaillant tells McCully what he learned from interviewing firefighters.

鈥淭hey鈥檙e aggressive, proactive folks who go in there and save property, they save lives,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 what they do. Imagine people like that going into a neighbourhood and you can鈥檛 save anything. These folks are dedicated to service and so to not be able to protect the citizens that they鈥檙e charged with protecting it鈥檚 really wounding. But I think the real injury is not being able to protect the community in the way that you鈥檝e been trained to and the way that you really want to.鈥�

The podcast conversation discusses the changing behaviour of fire due to climate change, the influence of insurance companies in responding to these risks and the urgent need to address these challenges.

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