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Clearing or burning beetle ravaged forests may be costly but could mitigate against the kind of massive wildfires that have been seen in British Columbia the last two summers, say researchers.

They say a large proportion of the forests that burned this year were affected by the mountain pine beetle about a decade ago.

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The mountain pine beetle epidemic affected more than 180,000 square kilometres. By comparison, the wildfires burned about 12,000 square kilometres last year and 13,000 square kilometres this year.

Daniel Perrakis, a fire research scientist with Natural Resources Canada, said removal of dead wood from the affected areas would also remove fuel for fires.

But, he added, the affected area is huge and it would take money and effort to tackle.

Photo by Ed Andrieski / THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Perrakis said trees that were affected by the mountain pine beetle but still had viable wood were sent to mills to be turned into boards and paper. What is left now is partly decayed or dead wood.