Typhoons, tsunamis, earthquakes … and forest fires? One of these things is not like the others. That is the message that Parks Canada hopes to relay with the creation of The Burning Question, a film that addresses the issue of forest fires in our national parks.

Forest fires are often viewed by the public as a disaster, but for Simon Hunt, Parks Canada’s Fire Management Specialist for Glacier and Revelstoke National Parks and the director of The Burning Question, fire is clearly a manageable resource for improving the forests.

“Forest fires aren’t bad,” says Hunt, “it’s only when fires come into contact with people that it is bad. We are trying to establish the benefits of fire for both people and nature.”

In its debut public screening on Monday night, the subject was clearly addressed to an impressed audience, who were also treated to a performance by Mountain WHIT (World Heritage Interpretive Theatre), a humorous musical theatre group that has been touring elementary schools with messages about how fire affects flora and fauna in Canada’s national parks.

Last summer’s Grizzly Ridge fire is the showcase for the issue in The Burning Question. For Hunt, the making of the film was both a chance to address the topic and the realization of a long-held aspiration.

“People used to ask me what I did at work and I always dreamed of making a film, so when Parks Canada bought a video camera last year, I was able to get footage of the Grizzly Ridge fire. That specific fire is then used as an example of how a prescribed fire can be managed and how it can help the ecosystem,” he says.

The Grizzly Ridge fire was ignited by a lightning strike, but rather than immediately react with fire control, Parks Canada made the decision to extend the reach of the fire. Using makeshift models and with an upbeat musical backing, the film shows a high energy re-enactment of how the fire management team analyzed the level of risk. The position of the fire on a rocky and snowy ridge was a major factor in this decision, as was the thick old growth forest, which would doubtlessly ignite in another fire in the future. It had also been a wet summer, so the team was able to predict that the fire wouldn’t spread beyond the neighbouring valleys.

“Allowing fires to burn means being proactive for the future as those resources can be used for a more serious fire that could pose a risk to people,” says the film’s narrator, Alice Weber.

The fire was a success, and small seed-eating birds called Clark’s Nutcrackers are shown returning to the burnt landscape soon after the smoke has dissipated, a good sign for the growth of Whitebark Pine. As described in the film, wildlife returns to burnt areas because nutrients in the soil cause the areas to be rich in plant life.

The Burning Question concludes with a series of beautiful shots of the Grizzly Ridge fire spreading over the prescribed area, with plumes of smoke rising against the sky. This is set to an original musical composition by Marc Wild.

“We hope to take the film to schools and to get it screened on television. We are also looking into the possibility of putting it forward for festivals,” says Hunt.

By all appearances, the audience left Monday night’s screening thoroughly entertained. The film was screened as part of the Friends of Mount Revelstoke and Glacier Speaker Series Program.

The Burning Question was produced by Parks Canada and FD Productions, with editing by Francois Desrosiers.