B.C.'s wildfire, drought conditions 'largely unchanged' after recent rainfall, officials say
Recent rainfall gave B.C.'s firefighters a welcome reprieve from this year's historic wildfire season, but appears to have done little to improve conditions.
Speaking at her weekly briefing update Thursday, B.C. Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma said wildfire and drought conditions remain "largely unchanged" despite days of wetter and cooler weather in many parts of the province.
"The recent rainfall we've received was much welcomed but it wasn't enough to have a meaningful impact," Ma said. "I'm calling on all British Columbians to remain vigilant and continue to follow all regional fire prohibitions and water restrictions."
So far this year, a total of 1,512,635 hectares of the province – or 15,126 square kilometres – has been scorched by 1,498 wildfires.
That's an increase of more than 100,000 hectares since Ma's previous update on July 18, when the province had already surpassed its previous all-time record for area burned.
The previous record was set in 2018, when 2,117 wildfires burned 1,354,284 hectares.
The number of active wildfires has dropped over recent days, with 408 burning as of Thursday morning, down by approximately 70 since Monday. Eight of those fires were sparked over the previous 24 hours.
Officials said the wetter, cooler weather allowed for a "slight reset" in the northern half of the province, but that their attention has shifted to the South Cariboo, Kamloops and Southeast fire centres, which did not experience the same relief.
Across the province, approximately 1,060 people remain under evacuation order due to wildfires, with another 5,430 under evacuation alert. Most of the affected residents are living in the central and southeast regions.
'EVERY DROP COUNTS'
Drought conditions have continued to worsen as well, with 23 of the province's 34 water basins now at Level 4 or Level 5 on the drought classification system.
The Lower Mainland is among the regions at Level 4, while Vancouver Island is among the regions at Level 5 – the maximum level under the system.
Ma reiterated her previous calls for all British Columbians, as well as industrial water licensees, to do their part to conserve water: "Every drop counts," she said.
Officials said they have already seen some voluntary reductions in consumption among licencees, and have not needed to issue protection orders against any businesses under the Water Sustainability Act.
"They will be issued if required," Ma added.
Drought conditions are significantly worse than normal for this time of year, due to a mix of high temperatures and low precipitation. The River Forecast Centre has said May's soaring temperatures brought the earliest snowpack melt ever seen in the province.
Forecasters expect warmer-than-normal temperatures for the remainder of the summer as well.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Scottie Scheffler arrested at PGA Championship for traffic violation, returns to course hours later
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler was arrested Friday morning on his way to the PGA Championship, with stunning images showing him handcuffed as he was taken to jail for not following police orders during a pedestrian fatality investigation.
NEW What a wildfire survivor says she regrets not grabbing before leaving home
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Ontario sees first measles death in more than a decade after young child dies
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
Vatican revamps norms to evaluate visions of Mary as it adapts to Internet age and combats hoaxers
The Vatican on Friday radically reformed its process for evaluating alleged visions of the Virgin Mary, weeping statues and other seemingly supernatural phenomena, insisting on having the final say in whether the events are worthy of popular devotion.
Wildfires are dampening against cool, rainy weather, but there's plenty left to contain
An opportune system of cool, wet weather Friday is dampening the spread of wildfires across Western Canada, but there's still plenty of work for responders and residents alike.
Jessica Biel hopes to normalize the conversation around menstruation with a new children's book
Jessica Biel is the author of a new children’s book focused on destigmatizing and normalizing the conversation around menstruation.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from 'moving wrong' during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.