140 lightning-caused wildfires detected in B.C. over last 3 days, service says
Lightning has sparked more than 100 new wildfires in British Columbia since Wednesday, as thunderstorms rolled through the provincial Interior.
The BC Wildfire Service says it recorded more than 17,000 lightning strikes across the province from Wednesday to Friday, with more anticipated on Saturday.
Fire information officer Briana Hill told CTV News August is typically the second-most-active month for lightning strikes in the province, after July, so it's not unusual to see many fires started by lightning during the month.
What's "significant," according to Hill, is the duration of the current weather pattern, which has so far brought three straight days of more than 4,000 lightning strikes province-wide.
There were 4,018 strikes on Wednesday, 5,205 on Thursday and 8,607 on Friday, according to BCWS statistics.
Those lightning strikes have led to 140 new wildfire incidents, though more than half – 52 per cent – are now classified as out, being held or under control.
According to the BCWS wildfire dashboard, there were 159 active fires in the province as of 1 p.m. Saturday. That total included 103 blazes that started in the last two days.
Lightning was reported as the cause of 125 of the listed fires, or nearly 80 per cent of the total.
HIGH WINDS IN THE FORECAST
In addition to the possibility of new lightning-sparked fires, crews were also contending with high winds on Saturday.
Gusts up to 50 km/h were in the forecast for parts of the province, bringing with them the potential for increased fire activity and spread, the wildfire service said on Twitter.
Wind can also dry out fuel, making it easier for fires to start, and it can increase the visibility of "holdover fires," the BCWS said.
A holdover fire is a small ignition that may have happened as long as three days ago, but hasn't been spreading or become highly visible, according to Neal McLoughlin, superintendent of predictive services for the BCWS.
"A good example would be where we have a lightning strike that is associated with a thundershower, and maybe some of the rain that's associated doesn't allow that fire to grow and be detected right away," McLoughlin said in a video shared on Twitter Saturday.
The wildfire service asks anyone who sees a possible wildfire to report it by calling 800-662-5555, or simply dialing *5555 from a cellphone.
Fires can also be reported via the BC Wildfire Service mobile app, the service said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Average hourly wage in Canada now $34.95: StatCan
Average hourly wages among Canadian employees rose to $34.95 on a year-over-year basis in April, a 4.7 per cent increase, according to a Statistics Canada report released Friday morning.
From outer space? Sask. farmers baffled after discovering strange wreckage in field
A family of fifth generation farmers from Ituna, Sask. are trying to find answers after discovering several strange objects lying on their land.
This iconic Canadian song is turning 50
Andy Kim's 'Rock Me Gently' is marking a major milestone, as it celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Oprah Winfrey: I set an unrealistic standard for dieting
Oprah Winfrey said on Thursday evening that she has long played a role in promoting unhealthy and unrealistic diets.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Toronto police called to Drake's Bridle Path mansion for another alleged intruder on Thursday
Toronto police say a man who allegedly attempted to access Drake’s Bridle Path property was taken to hospital on Thursday after an altercation with security guards.
Flat tire on a highway? Here's why you shouldn't try to fix it
If you're cruising down a highway and realize you have a flat tire, you may want to think twice before stopping to fix it on the side of the road.
Storm-battered U.S. South is again under threat. A boy swept into a drain fights for his life
Dangerous storms crashed over parts of the U.S. South on Thursday even as the region cleaned up from earlier severe weather that spawned tornadoes, killed at least three people, and gravely injured a boy who was swept into a storm drain as he played in a flooded street.
Broadcaster and commentator Rex Murphy dead at 77: National Post
The National Post is reporting that Rex Murphy, the pundit and columnist who hosted a national call-in radio show for decades, has died.