The cooler temperatures and wetter weather may have come as a relief to many British Columbians – but with 67 new blazes on Friday alone, the province isn’t out of wildfire danger yet.
Kevin Skrepnek, chief fire information officer at BC Wildfire Service, told CTV Vancouver that there are currently 241 active fires across the province – many of them caused by lightning accompanying the rain.
“Unfortunately with that shift in the weather came quite a bit of lightning,” Skrepnek says, noting that gusty winds have also contributed to the blazes. “Thankfully the vast majority were kept very small, thanks to rain coming with that lightning and the quick response of our initial attack crews.”
There are currently 20 fires of note burning in B.C., defined as fires with great visibility or posing a danger to the public. Eight evacuation orders or alerts are also in place, notes Skrepnek, such as at Puntzi Lake and near Pemberton.
Environment Canada has forecasted temperatures in the low twenties for Vancouver over the coming week, with a 40 per cent chance of showers this weekend.
Until Saturday, the last time it rained enough to report was June 29 -- although only 'trace amounts' were recorded. The last measureable day of rain, as recorded by Environment Canada, was June 18 with 4.2 mm.
Although cooler weather has come to B.C., Skrepnek emphasizes that the public should not become complacent.
“People need to be diligent,” he says. “A few days of rain isn’t going to hit the reset button on the very volatile situation we're in right now.”
Many municipalities around the province imposed water restrictions in the midst of unseasonably hot, dry weather.
Vancouver residents can be fined $250 for watering more than once a week or outside of the hours of 4 a.m. to 9 a.m., and lawn watering has been banned in Abbotsford, where a so-called sprinkler patrol is enforcing restrictions.
With files from CTV Vancouver’s Sheila Scott and The Canadian Press
