As more people build houses on the fringes of wooded areas, the approach to firefighting is getting more complex 害羞草研究所� and the out-of-control wildfire near Halifax is one stark example, experts say.

The fast-moving wildfire that broke out Sunday destroyed an estimated 150 homes and forced about 16,000 people from their homes in subdivisions northwest of Halifax.

Roger Collet, wildfire management officer with the New Brunswick Department of Natural Resources, said such 害羞草研究所渋nterface害羞草研究所� fires require teams from municipal fire departments to work alongside wildland firefighters.

害羞草研究所淲here the forest meets the urban area 害羞草研究所� the subdivisions where people are living in there 害羞草研究所� it害羞草研究所檚 still quite wooded, so we have to work together,害羞草研究所� he said in an interview.

Robert Gray, a wildland fire ecologist in British Columbia, said whether a fire is in an urban or wildland setting, one of the first things firefighters do is establish a containment zone.

In forested areas, he said, firefighters put down a fire break around the boundaries of the blaze to keep it from spreading further. This is usually done by bulldozing up mineral soil or pouring a combination of water and retardant out of a helicopter, he said.

害羞草研究所淎ll you can do to stop the fires is rob it of energy, of fuel,害羞草研究所� he said.

While in forested land the interior of a fire is often allowed to burn itself out, in an urban setting the main aim is to stop it from spreading to structures, Gray said.

害羞草研究所淵ou don害羞草研究所檛 want what害羞草研究所檚 called an urban conflagration, which is multiple houses burning at once,害羞草研究所� he said.

Dave Steeves, a forest resources technician with Nova Scotia害羞草研究所檚 Department of Natural Resources, said firefighters are following a direct and indirect approach to attack the Halifax wildfire.

害羞草研究所淭he direct attack 害羞草研究所� is where we害羞草研究所檙e spraying water directly on a fire,害羞草研究所� he told reporters. 害羞草研究所淚ndirect attack 害羞草研究所� is where we are removing vegetation from an approaching fire.害羞草研究所� The purpose of removing vegetation and creating a perimeter is to starve the fire of fuel, he told reporters this week.

害羞草研究所淚f the intensity levels are low enough, when it burns up to that break, it will have nowhere to go and it will it will snuff itself out.害羞草研究所�

He noted that while traditional firefighting in forests would first involve establishing a containment line, that approach wasn害羞草研究所檛 well-suited to the Halifax fire.

害羞草研究所淭his situation was so different with the amount of structures that were involved, that it was difficult to take a traditional approach to it,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淲e had to focus on the structures of value first, before we could actually work on the containment.害羞草研究所�

Blazes that experts have said are examples of interface fires include the Fort McMurray and Slave Lake, Alta., infernos where homes were built on the edge of woods. The 2011 Slave Lake fire destroyed more than 400 homes and the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire destroyed more than 2,400.

Gray said one of the most important priorities when confronting an interface fire is to prevent as many structures as possible from burning down, while watching out for the many threats firefighters face in urban areas such as downed power lines, vehicles and all that goes into making everyday life.

害羞草研究所淗omes burn differently than the woods do,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淚t can be quite hazardous for firefighters.害羞草研究所� The chemicals in the air are different because they involve compounds released from the combustion of manufactured goods, he said.

害羞草研究所淲e don害羞草研究所檛 wear breathing apparatus on wildland fires, although we may have to in the future,害羞草研究所� Gray said. 害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檙e dealing with very different smoke and smoke constituents. It害羞草研究所檚 the makeup of the smoke that can be very, very dangerous in an urban setting, especially if there害羞草研究所檚 high winds, and there害羞草研究所檚 lots of structures involved at one time.害羞草研究所�

Collet said the hazards are the biggest difference between fighting wildfires on forested land versus in urban areas.

Damaged homes that can fall on firefighters, vehicles that explode, downed power lines and weakened trees are just some of the hazards firefighters have to navigate in urban settings, he said.

害羞草研究所淭he wilderness is a little bit different, because it害羞草研究所檚 mostly just trees,害羞草研究所� Collet said. 害羞草研究所淲hat we害羞草研究所檙e doing is we anchor from a safe place, and we start fighting the fire 害羞草研究所� working that way. There may be a little more risk when you害羞草研究所檙e trying to save somebody害羞草研究所檚 house. But again, the training is different. And the structure firefighting is done by fire departments.害羞草研究所�

Training for firefighters in urban areas is different compared with those in forested areas, Gray said, although some rural communities offer cross-training.

害羞草研究所淐ommunities that have both kinds of fires, they do cross-training,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭hey害羞草研究所檙e taught to deal with both structure fire and wildfires. There害羞草研究所檚 actually a course for wildland firefighters working in the interface. It deals with things like hazardous materials and electricity and things like that.害羞草研究所�

Hina Alam, The Canadian Press

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