John Vaillant: Fire Weather | January 31, 2024

January 31, 2024
On January 31st we joined author John Vaillant for a talk about his latest book, Fire Weather.
In May 2016, Fort McMurray, the hub of Canada’s petroleum industry and America’s biggest foreign supplier, was overrun by wildfire. The multi-billion-dollar disaster melted vehicles, turned entire neighborhoods into firebombs, and drove 88,000 people from their homes in a single afternoon.
Through the lens of this apocalyptic conflagration-the wildfire equivalent of Hurricane Katrina-John Vaillant warns that this was not a unique event but a shocking preview of what we must prepare for in a hotter, more flammable world. John Vaillant’s urgent work is a book for-and from-our new century of fire, which has only just begun.
Discussion and Q&A was moderated by Am Johal. Co-presented by SFU’s Vancity Office of Community Engagement and The Jim Green Foundation.