Déjà vu or Trends? A historical look at Fire and Weather in Alberta

Forest fires during the last decade have burned extensive areas. They incurred great costs for fire control and losses of values-at-risk including property and timber. This seeming trend is a concern, especially as it might reflect influences of climate change. However, as evidence of much earlier fires during previous centuries suggests, fire seasons of this nature may not be unprecedented. Some of these early fires in the 1800s and early 1900s in Alberta are reviewed for perspective and comparison. Among he most notable are fires of 1812, the 1880s and 1890s, 1910, 1919, 1936 and 1950.