Bringing firewood to Edmonton could spread tree-killing disease and infestation to local forests: city

A file photo depicting tracks from emerald ash borers left in a black ash tree on June 22, 2011. (John Ehlke/AP Photo, File)

The City of Edmonton is cautioning against bringing firewood from other communities to the capital city this summer to reduce the potential impacts of pests and infestation.

Dutch elm disease and emerald ash borers, a species of wood-boring beetle, are raising concerns for Edmonton's urban forest due to potentially infected firewood from other communities.

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Emerald ash borers can spread Dutch elm disease in wooded areas very quickly and have a 99 per cent success rate in killing infected ash trees within eight to ten years, the City of Edmonton said in a release. They are also quick to kill any new growth which hinders forest recovery.

"The main way that both Dutch elm disease and emerald ash borer spread is through the transportation of firewood from other areas with infestations," said Mike Jenkins, a senior scientist for the City of Edmonton.

"Bringing firewood from other regions puts much of Edmonton’s urban forest at risk, including most tree-lined streets in mature neighbourhoods."

While there have been no signs of emerald ash borers in Alberta, there have been confirmed cases in Vancouver and Winnipeg.

Two isolated cases of Dutch elm disease have occurred in Alberta, once in Wainwright in 1998 and another in Lethbridge in 2020. In both cases, the infestations were immediately eradicated.

The city warns that while a community may seem disease- and pest-free, it is possible for the emerald ash borer and the disease to be present in firewood.

One of the main signs of emerald ash borers is newly sprouted branches growing from the lower area of the tree's trunk. Trees infected with Dutch elm disease will have brown, wilted leaves that do not fall, or yellow, drooping leaves during the summer months.

People who have brought firewood to the city are encouraged to bring it to an eco station for proper disposal.

The city also advises to report all cases of suspected Dutch elm disease and emerald ash borer spread to 311 or by using the city's online sick tree submission tool.