Drought causing rapid rise in wildfires in British Columbia, officials say

The extreme drought conditions across much of British Columbia are leading to a rapid rise in wildfires, according to provincial officials.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said while it's not unusual to see new fires sparking in October, the rate at which they're starting this month is far from normal.

“What is unusual for the time of year are the widespread drought conditions we are facing and the number of new wildfire starts per week,” said Briana Hill, fire information officer.

Hill said there were 63 new fires detected from Oct. 6 to 12, which is nearly five times higher than the average for this time of year (13) and exceeded the previous 20-year maximum (40) set in 2006.

As a result of the ongoing fire risk, Hill said officials are "definitely asking for caution and vigilance from the public," at least until conditions improve.

"It does sort of take a pretty significant rain event to bring the season fully to a close and even sometimes even snow," she said.

“Given current drought conditions across much of the province, the B.C. Wildfire Service is maintaining widespread open burning prohibitions and continues to urge vigilance with any activity that could cause a wildfire."

While the majority of the fires are manageable and not of major concern, Hill said drought-like conditions could be costly down the line.

“The longer term impacts of these drought conditions may very well have an impact on future wildfire seasons,” Hill said.

One of the latest fires was started Friday near Eagle Lake. West Vancouver firefighters said the blaze didn't grow overnight, and that crews are making "good progress" in the area.

The brush fire broke out southwest of Eagle Lake and grew to about two hectares in size. By Friday afternoon, crews said the blaze was already contained, and on Saturday morning they confirmed that was still the case.

"Weather conditions remain favourable, with cool temperatures and no wind," an update from District of West Vancouver said Saturday.

While helicopters were used on the first day, the district said helicopters weren't in use Saturday morning.

In a typical year, British Columbia would be well into its rainy season by mid-October. Instead, cities across the province have seen a fraction of the rain they normally would by this time of year, and unseasonably warm temperatures have set records in the province on 10 of 13 days so far this month. 

According to The Canadian Press, the City of Vancouver sees an average of 165 millimetres of rain between July and Oct. 14. This year, the city received just 16 millimetres during that period – less than 10 per cent of the average.

The situation is even more dire in Victoria, where just two millimetres of rain have fallen since July. On average, B.C.'s capital sees 100 millimetres between July and Oct. 14.

It's a similar story in the Fraser Valley. The City of Abbotsford has seen 10 millimetres during the period in question, less than five per cent of its 222-millimetre average. In Chilliwack, where the average is 245 millimetres, just eight have fallen this year – about three per cent of the average.

With files from CTV News Vancouver’s Alyse Kotyk and Ian Holliday