Fires Take Toll on Timber

This year’s wildfire season in BC has had a major impact on marketable timber.

Forests Minister Doug Donaldson says 53 million cubic metres of trees that could have been used by mills, have been consumed by fires in the Interior.

“That’s pretty significant as far as timber supply goes. It’s an equivalent to about four years of annual allowable cut,” says the minister.

Donaldson says some of the burned trees could still be used, but he says they would have to be cut fairly soon.

“We’re in the process of assessing how much of that impacted wood is no longer merchantable, It’s similar to the pine beetle situation. If it is merchantable, we want to get in there, get it cut, and get it to the mills before it becomes too dry.”

A provincial record of 1.1 million hectares has been charred by wildfires this year.