‘Era of Megafires’ coming to North Idaho

April 26, 2017

The public is invited to attend the compelling multimedia presentation, “Era of Megafires,” at locations in North Idaho in May. The number of large, severe wildfires has been increasing in the last decade. “Megafires” are wildfires that burn more than 100,000 acres and may be destructive to human communities, wildlife habitat and natural resources. Dr. Paul Hessburg, a research landscape ecologist with Pacific Northwest Research Station, partnered with North 40 Productions to produce the presentation. Hessburg has conducted fire and landscape ecology research for more than 27 years. The 70-minute, live multimedia presentations are free to the public and designed to educate and inform audiences across the West so they may better discuss how to find solutions to the risks that wildfires pose to their communities. "Era of Megafires" will be shown in Coeur d’Alene at 6 p.m. Monday, May 1, at the Coeur d’Alene Public Library, Community Room, E702 Front Street, Coeur d’Alene, and in Sandpoint at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 2, in the Columbia Bank Community Room, 414 Church Street, Sandpoint. The presentation is designed to stimulate discussion on how science relates to community experiences with wildfire. “Era of Megafires” explains how current fire conditions were inadvertently created, and it describes megafires as a core social issue with ecological explanations. Throughout the presentation, tools are identified for homeowners and land managers which, if applied strategically, can reduce the future severity and impacts of wildfires. “A future without wildfire isn’t an option,” Hessburg says. “So, what kind of future do we want for our forests? The goal of this project is to share a vocabulary and increase the understanding and ability of ordinary citizens so that they can enter into local discussions and planning for a more certain future for public forest lands.” For more information on the North Idaho events and events throughout the region, visit  http://www.north40productions.com/wildfire or contact Ivy Dickinson, Idaho Firewise, by calling (208) 310-7472 or e-mailing ivy@idahofirewise.org.