In May 2016 almost 90,000 residents of Fort McMurray were forced to evacuate their homes and city due to a wildfire that quickly grew out of control.
Located in northern Alberta, Fort McMurray is one of America’s biggest foreign suppliers of oil. In May 2016 it experienced the perfect conditions for a devastating wildfire: Unusually high temperatures, extremely low humidity, high winds and proximity to the boreal forest.
John Vaillant starts “Fire Weather” by looking at the history of fossil fuels and the great boreal forest that covers a third of Canada, including half of Alberta.
We learn how Fort McMurray became a petroleum boom town and Canada’s dependence on the bitumen industry in this area.
Vaillant shares the history of the petroleum industry and homo sapiens’ relationship with fire and fossil fuels.
It is eye-opening to consider how much of our daily lives depend on petroleum-based products in the 21st century.
Vaillant also provides a behind the scenes look at what city leaders, journalists, firefighters and regular citizens experienced during this almost unprecedented wildfire. It is a distressing tale that follows, and Vaillant writes with skilled prose that immerses readers in the experiences of Fort McMurray’s residents.
The Fort McMurray Fire would not be declared “extinguished” until August 2, 2017 after burning nearly 1.5 million acres. Thousands of homes were lost in the Fort McMurray fire, and the city is still recovering.
Vaillant closes the book with an overview of climate change and the history of scientists warning global leaders about climate change since the late 1800s. He addresses where we currently stand with our dependence on fossil fuels and where we may be headed.
The book is optimistic that we still have time to change, but it’s clear that 21st century fires will continue to thrive in a hotter world.
In 2021, 8,000 residents near Pinebrook were evacuated from their homes as the Parley’s Canyon Fire threatened to spread over the hill. Fortunately, no structures were lost, but it was a harrowing four days that left 541 acres burned.
In September 2024, the Yellow Lake Fire started about 10 miles from Francis in Wasatch County and burned about 33,000 acres.
Further from Summit County, the Southern California wildfires hit in January 2025 and caused tens of billions of dollars in damages and the loss of many lives.
Given the local impact of events like these, the One Book One Community committee felt the topics addressed in “Fire Weather” are timely and relevant for our community to discuss.
Look for upcoming events supporting One Book One Community during the month of June.
Author John Vaillant will speak to the community on Tuesday, July 29, at 7:00 p.m. in the Jim Santy Auditorium at the Park City Library.
“Fire Weather” can be found at our local libraries.
