B.C. has lessons to learn from Los Angeles fires, experts say [Video]

As fires continue to burn across the Los Angeles area, experts say there are lessons to be learned about how British Columbia can prepare for wildfires on Canada’s West Coast. 

Massive fires have killed at least 10 people and burned more than 10,000 homes and other structures since Tuesday in a densely populated, 40-kilometre expanse north of downtown Los Angeles.

Mathieu Bourbonnais, assistant professor in earth, environmental and geographic sciences at the University of British Columbia Okanagan, said the Los Angeles fires are not dissimilar to wildfires that burned north of the border in Kelowna and Scotch Creek in 2023 and Jasper, Alta., in 2024.

“We’re starting to see some recurring patterns where really, really dry conditions and you get an ignition …combined with really strong winds, allows a fire to grow really aggressively and just exceed what we’re able to deal with,” Bourbonnais said.

WATCH | What B.C. can …