Forest Fires and Signs of the Times

 “Be on guard so that your hearts are not weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness
and the worries of this life, and that day does not catch you unexpectedly,  like a trap.
For it will come upon all who live on the face of the whole earth.  
 Be alert at all times, praying that you may have the strength
to escape all these things that will take place,
 and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Luke 21:34-36

Yesterday Global News reported from the Hungry Bear, a tourist stop about 45 minutes south of Sudbury. Our kids grew up in Sudbury and when we drove north from a visit in Southern Ontario they would plead to stop because of the television commercials which made it look very appealing. Global wasn't there to check out the ice cream or trinkets. There is a substantial forest fire in the area --100 square kilometres -- and a number of communities are under evacuation alert, while cottagers and campers in French River Provincial Park have already left.



Parry Sound 33 fire

When we lived in Sudbury Killarney Park (rated as the best in Ontario) was a wilderness home away from home, and we visited Grundy Lake Park as well. Both are near this fire and Grundy has been evacuated, largely because of the smoke which is heavy at times. When we were camping in Algonquin last week a number of fires were burning in this iconic park, although none were near our area.

High temperatures and a lack of precipitation are the major contributing factors in the number of fires across Ontario and much of the rest of Canada again this year. In recent years the cost of fighting fires has exceeded a billion dollars and some communities have experienced devastation, including loss of homes and businesses. Often these fires rage in areas where outfitters and resorts depend on a brief season for profitability.

This isn't just a Canadian phenomenon. California is viewing rampant wildfires as the "new normal" because of changing weather conditions. Greece experienced deadly fires recently and there are unprecedented fires north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden.

As always, climate scientists are cautious about saying that these are climate change related. Still, the planet is changing, and the results are devastating.

I led an outdoor worship service in Algonquin this past Sunday. Perhaps I should have used passages about fire in the bible as my texts for the day. Or one in which Jesus tells us to be aware of the "signs of the times."



Fires in Ontario