Firefighting strategies need an extreme makeover, UN warns

Carlos Avila Gonzalez/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

A new United Nations report says that nations need to spend more money on living with wildfires rather than fighting them. There needs to be a radical shift in how governments address fires according to a report.

Extreme wildfires are expected to increase by up to 50% by the end of the century. According to a report published today by the United Nations Environment Programme and Norwegian environmental nonprofit GRID-Arendal, conventional firefighting won't be enough to meet the new threats.

Two-thirds of government spending on wildfires should go towards preparing for and adapting to big blazes, according to a report. The rest can be used to fight fires. It is a significant shift from the priorities of today. Less than 1 percent of funding goes into planning.

Inger Andersen, UNEP Executive Director, said in a press release that current government responses to wildfires are often putting money in the wrong place.

The report says that supporting those firefighters means adopting more effective strategies. The modern western world has emphasized the eradication of all fires, even those that were natural. Fire suppression can cause more intense blazes because it allows dry tinder to build up on forest floors.

The Karuk Tribe in California traditionally set small, controlled fires that kept larger fires more manageable. The UN report recommends using indigenous knowledge and using controlled burns to clear away dead branches and vegetation that can fuel forest fires. That might include encouraging the growth of less flammable plants and letting livestock roam in strategic places. It is an argument that has been picking up steam recently. The 10-year wildfire plan released by the Joe Biden administration emphasizes better forest management.

The new report states that populations have grown in and around fire-prone areas, which can make wildfires even more disastrous. The report says that the communities need to be better prepared because of climate change. Making homes and infrastructure more impervious to fire, putting out air quality alerts for smoke, and allocating more money for recovery efforts are all part of that. Preserving some open spaces is important. The health and safety of firefighters should be protected by establishing international standards, according to the report.

The report says that by sticking to the goals of the Paris Agreement, it will be easier for countries to avoid more catastrophic fires. The climate crisis has made fire seasons longer and more intense. Climate change is made worse by the release of carbon dioxide when trees and vegetation burn.

Eliminating the risk of wildfires is not possible, according to the report.