RE:Alberta fires...I believe you are absolutely right. In California the sequoia and redwood trees among other species are protected, and it is illegal to cut them down. As a result, a lot of those that are dead fall down and become the perfect fuel for forest fire if struck by lightning. Since they are inaccessible because the lack of tote roads, they became a real fire hazard.
Just another example of the fact that "the road to hell is paved by the best intentions."