Dry conditions mean increased wildfire risk in B.C. through the fall
An expert with the BC Wildfire Service says relentless drought conditions for much of British Columbia sets the stage for more fire activity this fall.
Neal McLoughlin, superintendent of predictive services, says "aggressive fire behaviour" is ongoing in northern B.C., and wildfires there are expected to remain active possibly into next spring.
He says slightly warmer and drier-than-normal conditions are expected across most of B.C. until the middle of October, with the exception of the northwest and coastal regions, which are forecast to get cooler and wetter weather.
McLoughlin says that while the amount of new lightning-caused wildfires is expected to decrease in the coming weeks, dry forests and grasslands remain a concern because they are highly susceptible to ignition.
Noting that 90 per cent of lightning starts generally happen before September, he is reminding people to stay vigilant as the majority of blazes this fall will be human-caused.
The service reports 74 per cent of the nearly 1,600 fire starts this year were caused by lightning, while 25 per cent were set off by humans.
McLoughlin says B.C. has averaged about 250,000 lightning strikes a year for the last two decades but there were 190,000 this year.
"Although we've seen less lightning this year, more of it has translated into lightning-caused fire," he told a news conference Thursday. "The fuels are more receptive, and there's a higher efficiency of lightning and causing fires in those areas."
McLoughlin says this fire season is ranked fourth for most area burned in the province's history, adding that multiyear drought conditions will continue across B.C., most notably in the northeast and Bulkley Lakes regions.
Forests Minister Bruce Ralston told the news conference that more than 200 wildfires are still burning across B.C. That includes the human-caused Kikomun wildfire near Baynes Lake that forced evacuation orders and alerts for more than 50 properties earlier this week, he noted.
"Because of this swift response, the evacuation order has now been rescinded and the fire is now listed as under control," he said of the actions of BC Wildfire Service crews.
Bowinn Ma, B.C.'s emergency management minister, says no B.C. residents remain under evacuation alert or order, and there are also no properties under evacuation order.
She says about 130 properties are on an evacuation alert, but those are not believed to be primary residences.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 12, 2024.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'Say it to my face': Singh confronts heckling protester on Parliament Hill
NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh confronted a protester for calling him a 'corrupted bastard' on Parliament Hill on Tuesday.
Bride's family speaks as West Vancouver woman sentenced for driving SUV into wedding party
Sixty-five-year-old Hong Xu, who drove her SUV into a crowd of people celebrating a wedding at her next-door neighbour's house in West Vancouver on Aug. 20, 2022, has been sentenced under the Motor Vehicle Act for driving without due care and attention.
Why it's 'very hard' to find work in Canada
Vacancies have steadily fallen since the glut of nearly one million open posts in 2022. At the time, one in three businesses had trouble hiring staff due to a labour shortage. Since then, vacancies have dropped.
Hezbollah hit by a wave of exploding pagers and blames Israel. At least 9 dead, thousands injured
Pagers used by hundreds of members of the militant group Hezbollah exploded near simultaneously in Lebanon and Syria on Tuesday, killing at least nine people.
Sean 'Diddy' Combs jailed by judge after sex trafficking indictment
Sean 'Diddy' Combs headed to jail Tuesday to await trial in a federal sex trafficking case that accuses him of presiding over a sordid empire of sexual crimes protected by blackmail and shocking acts of violence.
Canucks' Dakota Joshua reveals he is recovering from cancer
Vancouver Canucks forward Dakota Joshua revealed Tuesday he underwent cancer treatment over the summer, and will not be ready to play when the team's training camp begins later this week.
Two people charged in murder of Halifax teen; police believe remains have been found
Halifax Regional Police believe Devon Sinclair Marsman, who disappeared in 2022, was the victim of a homicide and two people have now been charged in his death.
What is racketeering? The crime, explained
Sex trafficking, cheating scandals and mob activity may appear very different. But all fall under the broad umbrella of racketeering.
Man from Phoenix, Ariz., missing after truck plunges off Yukon bridge
Whitehorse RCMP say a man from Phoenix, Ariz., is missing after the truck he was travelling in went off a bridge and plunged into the Yukon River.