People in the Mountains - Mountain Geography: Physical and Human Dimensions - page 531

widespread high hazard and high vulnerability. In August 2003, over 2,000 wildfires
were burning in mountainous British Columbia (Filmon 2004).
Several destroyed settlements, and one of the largest, the Okanagan Mountain Park
fire, burned into the city of Kelowna, destroying and damaging homes and infrastruc-
ture. No people were injured or killed by the fire. It gained worldwide television atten-
tion, enhanced by spectacular images of towering flames and smoke clouds, as a pos-
sible indicator of things to come. Firefighters and experts converged from all over the
globe. The wildfire bill for British Columbia in 2003 exceeded $1.5 billion. Whether the
vulnerable properties are high-value real estate, or squatter settlements on the urban
fringe, or dwellings scattered through the forest, the impact of wildfires on people's
lives is substantial.
Wildfire hazard mitigation and disaster prevention in mountain areas is a complex
enterprise involving the management of forests, fires, and people. Forest measures in-
clude the use of controlled burns to replicate small, naturally occurring fires that add
diversity and open spaces to forest stands and prevent the spread of damaging insects
and diseases, carefully controlled harvesting of trees to do the same, removal of dead
material from forests, and cutting of firebreaks to protect vulnerable property. Fire haz-
ard forecasting through the monitoring of weather and forest conditions is used to alert
authorities and the public to the hazard and impose prohibitions on use of fire, travel,
and other activities. Airborne and ground surveillance is used to spot fires and issue
warnings and evacuations. Measures related to the wildfires themselves include efforts
to control and extinguish using conventional techniques, including the use of backfires
and airborne fire suppressants. In addition to prohibiting certain activities during high
hazard periods, people are managed through public education, building restrictions,
and building codes to reduce use of flammable materials. Thus, the mountain wildfire
hazard is one of many hazards that impose costs on the lives and livelihoods of moun-
tain people while creating new livelihoods for some.
The complexities of wildfire hazard and risk management in mountain areas are diffi-
cult to balance. Forests are inherently valuable in the lives of mountain people for their
timber, fuelwood, nontimber products, aesthetics, recreational value, and the roles they
play in microclimate, water regulation, and erosion prevention. Wildfires alter these be-
nefits. Fire suppression is an answer, but it creates new problems. Maximizing the be-
nefits and minimizing the costs presents one of the most perplexing management prob-
lems in those parts of the mountain world where forests are present.
For generations and in every mountain region, people have coped with and adapted
to the challenges of complex hazards and risks. Coping involves short-term actions to
reduce impact, but may not be sustainable or useful in the long term. Adaptations are
longer-term strategies to reduce the risks, and may require substantial changes in how
people use and manage their environment and lives. Adaptations may address the root
causes of a hazard, intervene to reduce or eliminate the hazards, and/or compensate for
the losses and restore damages. The ability to cope and adapt is referred to as resilien-
ce.
Resilience of Mountain People