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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 Canadasa国际传媒檚 petroleum industry and Americasa国际传媒檚 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.

sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 the population of Regina,sa国际传媒� said Vaillant. sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 a major Canadian city that has been forced from their homes. Wildfire for Canadians now is really a national security threat. Itsa国际传媒檚 a threat to public health and safety, but itsa国际传媒檚 also a threat to our national security. Itsa国际传媒檚 so destabilizing to have the entire city of Yellowknife basically on the road.sa国际传媒�

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.

sa国际传媒淭heysa国际传媒檙e aggressive, proactive folks who go in there and save property, they save lives,sa国际传媒� he said. sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 what they do. Imagine people like that going into a neighbourhood and you cansa国际传媒檛 save anything. These folks are dedicated to service and so to not be able to protect the citizens that theysa国际传媒檙e charged with protecting itsa国际传媒檚 really wounding. But I think the real injury is not being able to protect the community in the way that yousa国际传媒檝e been trained to and the way that you really want to.sa国际传媒�

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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