How fire ready is Edmonton? What Canada's largest urban park means for wildfire risk
CBC
As an out-of-control wildfire rages on in Jasper National Park, many Edmontonians have wondered about the wildfire risk in their home community.
Edmonton's river valley along the North Saskatchewan River is the largest urban park in Canada with 4,500 hectares of natural area, said Courtney Teliske, a City of Edmonton ecologist of natural areas.
Specialists say several factors make Edmonton more resistant to a fast-spreading wildfire.
"The likelihood of a fire getting out of control in the City of Edmonton is much lower than, say, in the northern parts of the province," Teliske said in an interview last week.
A major factor is the type of tree that dominates Edmonton's natural areas.
Deciduous, leafy trees like poplar, birch and aspen are slower to ignite and spread, while coniferous trees like pine and spruce burn more quickly.
The sap in evergreen trees is easy fuel for fast-moving wildfires, such as the one that is burning in Jasper National Park.
The trees grow closely together so the tightly packed needles make it easier for fire to jump from tree top to tree top.
One higher-risk area of Edmonton is along the Anthony Henday in the northwest where evergreens are clustered, Teliske said.
"They're like black spruce, they're really dense. There's a lot of trees that have died. So those are our higher-risk areas from a fuel standpoint."
Structures and homes can also be high risk, especially on south-facing slopes along the banks and river valley, she said.
To help reduce the fire risk, crews assess parts of the city and remove dry debris and dead wood when needed, she noted.
"What we're most concerned about is the fine fuels. So like the smaller branches that become stacked and piled and aren't decomposing."
Materials on the ground already decomposing retain moisture that helps prevent fuels from igniting, she added.
