$387M spent fighting B.C. wildfires so far this year: officials

A danger tree faller works on the Shetland Creek wildfire, near Spences Bridge, B.C. in an Aug. 5, 2024, handout photo. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-B.C. Wildfire Service, *MANDATORY CREDIT*

B.C. has spent $387 million fighting wildfires so far this season, according to officials, who provided an update on the situation Tuesday.

The total is 17 per cent less than what had been spent this time last year, when the province had the most destructive wildfire season on record. When that season ended, spending hovered around a billion dollars, Bruce Ralston, minister of forests said.

"We're certainly not proceeding at that pace. But what I would say to people is that in the financial arrangements that are made for BC Wildfire Service and fighting there's a statutory authority to spend what's required, so it's not a question of bumping up against a limit," he said.

"Fortunately, we haven't had to spend as much or at the same rate we're at the this year, but, but the authorization is there to spend whatever is required to keep communities and people and businesses safe."

The update came amid a change in conditions to cooler weather and the number of people forced from their homes dropped to 55.

But Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma stressed that the province is still in the midst of core wildfire season and a persistent drought.

"I would love to say that this is a sign that we're winding down the wildfire season, but it is not," she said. "Wildfires remain extremely active throughout the province."

Compared to this time last year, the actual number of fires burning is similar – with over 400 active blazes on Tuesday, according to Cliff Chapman with the BC Wildfire Service.

"The size of the fires last year was significantly more," he said, adding crews this year aren't fighting the kind of massive blazes they encountered last year such as the Donnie Creek wildfire which burned 5,000 square kilometres.

Chapman also noted that the province saw some of its most destructive and fast-moving fires in mid-August of 2023. After an extremely hot and dry summer, a cold front swept through parts of the province.

"It really took those larger fires and pushed them across the landscape,” he said.

A province-wide state of emergency was declared in B.C. on Aug. 18 last year and would remain in effect for nearly a month.

Chapman says conditions this year aren’t quite as volatile as they were at the same point last year.

"We're not seeing a similar cold front pattern, and we have seen a little bit more rain introduced into the system this year."

Still, provincial officials stressed the need to remain vigilant.

"We know fires start quickly and act unpredictably in these conditions, everyone should be prepared and plan ahead," Ralston said.

So far in 2024, there have been 1,428 wildfires. Last year at this time, there had been nearly 1,700. However Chapman says this year's total is still significantly higher than the 10-year-average of roughly 1,100.