Dr. Kira Hoffman, a fire ecologist based in British Columbia, explains why we need to shift from fearing fire to understanding its vital role in our ecosystems and communities. Explore the deep history of Indigenous fire stewardship, the dangers of suppressing natural fire cycles, and why "good fire" is essential for food security, biodiversity, and even reducing the risk of catastrophic wildfires.
In this episode, you'll learn about:
Fire as a Human Tool: How fire shaped our evolution and why "wildfire" doesn't exist in many Indigenous languages.
The Cost of Suppression: The unintended consequences of banning cultural burning and removing fire from the landscape.
Indigenous Fire Sovereignty: The push for Indigenous-led fire stewardship and the challenges of navigating colonial systems.
Fire and Food Security: How prescribed burns create more productive berry patches and food sources.
The "Good Fire" Movement: Why communities need to reclaim fire as a tool for safety and ecological health.
Social Science of Fire: Why understanding human perception and behavior is just as critical as understanding fire physics.
Learning from Failure: The need for a culture that shares mistakes and learns from them, rather than hiding them.
Place-Based Research: Why you can't understand fire without spending time on the land and listening to the people who live there.