Question

Wind is a firefighter's worst enemy, and it was out in full force in British Columbia in 2003. Firefighters in the Canadian province battled over 800 blazes that summer. The conditions did not help. British Columbia had been in a state of emergency since August 2nd. The blazes burned more than 345,000 acres (140,000 hectares) in the province. Over 3,000 firefighters tried their best to control the fires at a cost of more than $2.9 million per day. The fires would have been easier to control if nature had been on the firefighters' side.

a) The passage discusses the advantages of firefighting in British Columbia.
b) Firefighters in British Columbia faced challenging conditions in 2003.
c) Wind is a firefighter's best ally in controlling wildfires.
d) Firefighters had full control over the blazes in British Columbia.

Answer 1

The passage describes the difficult conditions faced by firefighters in British Columbia in 2003 option (b), emphasizing the challenging role of wind in wildfire suppression and the complexities of fire management.

Step-by-step explanation:

The passage outlines the extreme conditions faced by firefighters during the wildfires in British Columbia in 2003. It highlights that wind can greatly hinder firefighting efforts, a concept supported by further evidence such as the challenges posed by terrain inclines and extreme weather events like droughts and wind storms.

Moreover, it includes a reference to the role of climate change in exacerbating forest fires and provides a glimpse into the costly and complex nature of fire management practices.

The correct statement regarding the passage is b) Firefighters in British Columbia faced challenging conditions in 2003. This is because the passage clearly indicates that the firefighters faced over 800 blazes, a state of emergency, and had to battle the fires at high costs under adverse conditions, contradicting the notions that wind assists firefighting (c), that firefighters had full control (d), or that the passage discusses the advantages of firefighting (a).