Forrest Fires in Canada

 Fire plays an important role in most forest ecosystems in Canada. As these ecosystems have evolved over the last 10,000-15,000 years (since the glacial retreat at the end of the last ice age), fire has helped to maintain their health and diversity. From a socio-economic perspective fire can, however, have negative or undesirable effects on public health and safety, property, and natural resources.
The challenge of managing fire in Canada is to find ways to effectively balance the positive ecological aspects of fire with the negative social and economic impacts.
Wildfires are a natural hazard in any forested and grassland region in Canada. The regions with the highest wildfire occurrence are British Columbia, and the Boreal forest zones of Ontario, Quebec, the Prairie provinces, and the Yukon and Northwest Territories.

Fire is the most spectacular natural disturbance that affects Canadian forests. The diversity of the forest landscape often bears witness to the passage of earlier fires.
Fire has a devastating effect on the landscape, and its impact is felt at every level of the ecosystem. Nevertheless, fire is an essential factor in the maintenance of the diversity and stability of boreal forest ecosystems.
Lightning is the primary natural cause of forest fires. Other fires are attributed to human-related causes such as cigarettes, matches, campfires, sparks from machinery or passing trains, etc.
Fires caused by lightning generally consume enormous areas, while fires started by human activities, although more frequent, are quickly detected and extinguished.

Impact on wildlife

Fire disturbs the vegetation and environment that provide food and shelter for animal species; therefore, wildlife populations change in response to the new habitat. Many species are able to take advantage of the conditions created by new vegetation and altered habitats. In the case of other species, however, years will pass before the populations return to their original levels, while some other species will never again be able to live in the area. 

For example, a recently burned site creates an ideal environment for the black-backed woodpecker. This species travels in search of food, which it might readily find in the form of an insect feeding on burned wood. The black-backed woodpecker is rarely if ever seen in older forests.

Impact on soil, water and air 

Fire reduces the amount of forest litter on the ground and, by doing so, it reduces the soil's capacity to retain water and nutrients. Heat from a fire can also significantly deplete the populations of microbial decomposers in the soil.

Fire affects both the amount of water available and its quality. For example, snow melts more rapidly in a burned zone, making a very large quantity of water available in a very short period of time. However, this same zone can dry out much more quickly during a dry spell. Also, water quality declines in zones affected by fire because of the resulting higher levels of sediment, organic matter and nutrients. These effects diminish over the medium term as vegetation re-establishes itself.
Air quality is primarily affected by the presence of particulates (ashes, soot, particles, etc.) in the atmosphere, which reduce visibility. Combustion also releases a large quantity of carbon dioxide (CO₂) and water vapour into the atmosphere. The CO₂ released in this way can contribute to the greenhouse effect.

Wildfire facts

• Approximately 8,000 wildfires occur each year in Canada.
• The average area burned in Canada is 2.5 million ha/year.
• Fires caused by lightning represent 45% of all fires, but because they occur in remote locations and often in clusters, they represent 81% of total area burned.
• Human-caused fires represent 55% of all fires. They occur in more populated areas and are usually reported and extinguished quickly.

My Thoughts
If Forest Fires are necessary in the ecosystem, and they have to do it, they should try and reduce the amount of forest fires that are happening or being caused. They help the ecosystem but they don't help the animals that it's affecting. If some of the animals are being forced out of their habitat where they find food they shouldn't do it at all and just do something else with the trees and pick up the garbage that is on the ground instead of burning it with the trees.
Forest Fires do help one thing but then they affect another thing in a bad way. It also affects the water and air and the good supply of it.