B.C. wildfire officials warned there is a high potential for new fire starts this week because of elevated drought conditions and an expected increase in dry lightning.
“This is absolutely the time to be diligent in this province as we are potentially going to be dealing with a significant wildfire event in the next 48 hours,” said Cliff Chapman, director of provincial operations for the B.C. Wildfire Service, during a provincial wildfire and drought update on Tuesday.
He said fuels across the province are as dry as possible, meaning they are highly susceptible to wildfires and rapid spread of fire, particularly in the southern Interior regions.
Chapman said crews are ready to attack new fires as they start, but encouraged communities to be prepared, including by having a go-bag ready in case of an evacuation order, and by downloading the BCWS app.
Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said this year’s wildfire season has so far been more manageable than in recent years, but he urged people to remain vigilant as the province heads into the hottest weeks of summer.
“We’ve potentially got some tough days ahead,” said Parmar.
“We cannot be complacent. We are heading into a period of dry weather, wind and storms, with high potential for new fire ignitions across the province, including starting later this week,” he said.
Close to 256 square kilometres have burned across the province since April.
Parmar said that compares to over 7,000 square kilometres burned by the same time last year.
He noted over 12,000 square kilometres were burned during the same period in 2023’s record-breaking wildfire season.
Eight evacuation orders remain in place in B.C., most of those due to the out-of-control Brunswick complex near Boston Bar, in the southern Interior.
Todd Flanagan, incident commander for the complex, said crews had begun to stabilize the fire near homes and infrastructure in the valley.
“There’s still some unsecured perimeter, and some really steep and tough ground,” he said.
Meanwhile, a campfire ban is also set to take effect across much of coastal B.C. at noon on Thursday, July 16.
Calls to conserve water amid record-low stream flows
B.C. officials are urging residents to conserve water as hot, dry conditions are expected over the coming weeks.
Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Minister Randene Neill said record-low stream flows were recorded in the southern Interior.
She said there were particular concerns about the impact to the Salmon River and Bessette Creek watersheds in the Okanagan region.
The province said in a release it is also monitoring areas of the southern coast and Vancouver Island, including the Koksilah and Tsolum rivers.
“We are asking everyone – water purveyors, residents, businesses and large water users – to take voluntary action now to preserve water,” said Neill.
She said temporary protection orders may be issued as a last resort if conservation efforts aren’t enough to preserve watershed levels and protect fish populations.
