As you read this it’s probably still winter, unless we got lucky, and it’s probably hovering in the low to negative temperatures. There might be a little snow, if Brian Rode got his wish, and there might even be a brisk wind that makes it through even the tightest of knit thermals.

What there isn’t is 45C and dry, easterly winds. The only fire you might see is probably coming from the Jasper Park Lodge where Alan Westhaver, project manager for FireSmart/ForestWise program with Parks Canada, and his merry (wo)men have set to work at thinning out the forest. 

Lucky for us, they’re working hard to help protect us, ensuring that when, and according to Westhaver it’s definitely when, not if, we’re struck by a nasty bushfire we’ll be ready and waiting to take the blow. “Someday its going to be us, no questions,” he said.  

Now, unless you’ve been hibernating with the bears of Jasper National Park, you’ve probably heard there’s some irregular and nasty fires going on in that motherland of mine, Australia.

In fact, I know most of you are aware, because Jasper being full of caring people quickly responded to the situation asking and hoping that I haven’t had family or friends caught up in the blaze.

The terror and sheer devastation that has blasted across my beautiful sunburnt country has led me to many conversations over the last few weeks. And, they all seem to lead back to the same question.

“What if it were us?”

What would you do if the bench was suddenly ablaze and there were millions of embers falling throughout our mountain home? Would you run? Would you hide? What if you don’t have a car, how would you evacuate? And, after the many people died in their cars trying to escape the blaze in Australia, is that the best policy? Maybe you’d protect your home? You could be the heroic Jasperite that saved their house from the perils of Mother Nature. But, how? And, what about your family? Your business? You pets?

So many unanswered questions spurred on by one massive event which, at the end of the day, is quite a regular occurrence back home. 

To be honest, it’s easy to become blasé about the issue of fire. After all, this is Canada, not Australia. It’s wet, it’s snowy, it’s –20C: we’re not going up in flames. It’s this apathetic view Westhaver fears the most. The opinion that because we’re Jasper, we’re going to be just fine. 

If you believe Westhaver then it’s “going to happen. Whether we plan it or not.” So, what are you going to do?

For homeowners, it’s easy. And, Westhaver is happy to help. Just clear all that fire “fuel” from around your house: that way, when the fire comes, there is simply less to burn. “If people don’t do their own share in their own backyards you’re going to have the same negative outcome. If there’s so much flammable stuff right in close to your house, that’s nothing the Government can control, or any agency, that’s up to residents,” said Westhaver.

He explained that it’s the millions of little embers that ignited many of the fires in Australia, or in the Californian fires in the fall and that’s why there’s such an emphasis on prevention.

And don’t worry, Parks is doing their bit too. That’s why they’re out there burning off that beautiful forest. Anyone that’s taken a winter cruise out to Jasper Park Lodge will note the forest is looking much different than before. That’s so when there is a fire, we’ll all be fine. By thinning the forest, Westhaver and his crew are changing “the nature of the fire”  and reducing “the intensity of that fire so it stays down on the ground and doesn’t get up on in the crowns and become something we can’t cope with.”

Of course, Jasper has a meticulously planned response for when the fire does come and Westhaver assured me it is continually updated and reviewed. But, I’m still a little concerned. I don’t own a house in Jasper, nor do I own a car. So, the fire is keeping me warm from a distance, but what am I doing next? Running?

Westhaver suggests that my motherland is in fact, leading the way in responses. “Their motto is, either get out really early or stay and, shelter in place, defend your property. Which is a really good strategy.”

While the North American plan of attack isn’t ‘official’ at this stage, Westhaver believes this is the best tactic, but it counts on homes and structures being built properly in the first place. With a plan like the Aussies, Westhaver believes a bush fire can be an “event” but not a “disaster”.

You may find this a little hard to swallow as wildfires burn away at the Australian landscape and the death toll slowly rises. But, it’s a matter of being prepared and ready to deal with the situation. We all like to turn our heads and pretend that things like this don’t happen in our pristine, too-perfect-to-touch town of Jasper, but as you turn your head, take a look around at the many fire-fuels that scatter our beautiful landscape. Do your part to protect our town, so it can stay perfect and, when that day comes, we’ll all still have homes to return to.