Fire Weather: A True Story from a Hotter World

A dense, highly viscous form of crude oil, bitumen (pronounced “BITCH-amen”) is typically found in natural deposits such as oil sands. It is dark and sticky and cannot flow freely at room temperature, requiring heating or dilution for transport and processing. Bitumen is used to make asphalt for paving roads, tar for roofing, and various industrial products. Central to Fire Weather is the extraction and refining of bitumen to create oil, which necessitates resource-intensive processes that have a significant environmental impact due to carbon dioxide omissions.

The boreal (meaning northern) forest, in which Fort McMurray developed around bitumen processing, is a vast, dense biome containing coniferous trees such as spruce, pine, and fir. In Canada, the boreal forest includes aspen, poplar, and birch, creating a mix of perennial and deciduous trees. This forest thrives in cold climates that have long winters and short, cool summers, and they play a crucial role in the global carbon cycle. However, the boreal forest is highly susceptible to wildfires due to several factors. The coniferous trees produce flammable resins and needles that accumulate on the forest floor, creating abundant fuel. The typically dry conditions in the summer months, combined with frequent lightning strikes, make wildfires a common occurrence that is a natural and necessary part of forest health.