1,230 wildfires, 4,250 square kilometres of land burned in B.C. since April 1
British Columbia is “significantly ahead” of the 10-year average in terms of the number of fires and the area that has been scorched so far this year, says the director of fire centre operations at the BC Wildfire Service.
Rob Schweitzer said Tuesday the province has seen 1,230 blazes resulting in 4,250 square kilometres of land burned since April 1 and it's only halfway through the wildfire season. The 10-year average for the same period is about 642 fires and 1,050 square kilometres burned, he told a news conference.
A crew of 34 specialists from Australia is set to bolster the 208 out-of-province personnel working alongside more than 3,000 firefighters and others on B.C.'s fire lines, he said.
Teams from Alberta, Quebec, Mexico, and members of the Canadian Armed Forces are already deployed on some of the more than three dozen blazes that the wildfire service says are either highly visible or immediately threatening properties.
One of those is a 120-square kilometre fire west of Kamloops that flared overnight, forcing the closure of Highway 97C between Ashcroft and the Highland Valley copper mine. The road has since reopened, but the wildfire service warned that increased fire activity means the route could close again with little or no notice.
Schweitzer said there were several reports of people on the weekend who did not heed evacuation orders, which meant precious resources were diverted to help those trapped behind fire lines.
“Most people in B.C. have never experienced an active wildfire event, and the conditions that we're seeing this year, are some of the most extreme that have ever been experienced in this province,” he said.
“Those situations can be disorienting and confusing, and your ability to keep yourself, your family safe may be severely impacted.”
Evacuation orders were in effect for just over 3,700 properties across the province, while alerts covered about 18,000 more, meaning people had been told to be ready to leave their homes on short notice, the government said on Tuesday.
Schweitzer said officials were paying close attention to the forecast and instability in the atmosphere that creates lightning.
The forecast shows a “mixed bag” with temperatures reaching almost 40 C in the south Okanagan, but the blessing is that winds are not going to be extreme, he said.
“The wind is actually our biggest enemy in this case, even though we do not welcome the hot temperatures and low humidities, it's the wind that we're really concerned about,” he said.
“We will see those higher temperatures so burning will increase, but we're hoping not to any significant amount.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 27, 2021.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
DEVELOPING Man sets self on fire outside New York court where Trump trial underway
A man set himself on fire on Friday outside the New York courthouse where Donald Trump's historic hush-money trial was taking place as jury selection wrapped up, but officials said he did not appear to have been targeting Trump.
BREAKING Sask. father found guilty of withholding daughter to prevent her from getting COVID-19 vaccine
Michael Gordon Jackson, a Saskatchewan man accused of abducting his daughter to prevent her from getting a COVID-19 vaccine, has been found guilty for contravention of a custody order.
She set out to find a husband in a year. Then she matched with a guy on a dating app on the other side of the world
Scottish comedian Samantha Hannah was working on a comedy show about finding a husband when Toby Hunter came into her life. What happened next surprised them both.
Mandisa, Grammy award-winning 'American Idol' alum, dead at 47
Soulful gospel artist Mandisa, a Grammy-winning singer who got her start as a contestant on 'American Idol' in 2006, has died, according to a statement on her verified social media. She was 47.
'It could be catastrophic': Woman says natural supplement contained hidden painkiller drug
A Manitoba woman thought she found a miracle natural supplement, but said a hidden ingredient wreaked havoc on her health.
Young people 'tortured' if stolen vehicle operations fail, Montreal police tell MPs
One day after a Montreal police officer fired gunshots at a suspect in a stolen vehicle, senior officers were telling parliamentarians that organized crime groups are recruiting people as young as 15 in the city to steal cars so that they can be shipped overseas.
The Body Shop Canada explores sale as demand outpaces inventory: court filing
The Body Shop Canada is exploring a sale as it struggles to get its hands on enough inventory to keep up with "robust" sales after announcing it would file for creditor protection and close 33 stores.
Vicious attack on a dog ends with charges for northern Ont. suspect
Police in Sault Ste. Marie charged a 22-year-old man with animal cruelty following an attack on a dog Thursday morning.
On federal budget, Macklem says 'fiscal track has not changed significantly'
Bank of Canada governor Tiff Macklem says Canada's fiscal position has 'not changed significantly' following the release of the federal government's budget.