B.C. saw same number of fires, much less land burned in 2022 season, wildfire service says
The 2022 wildfire season is not yet over, but it's been winding down, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service's final status update of the year.
Issued Friday, the update notes that there are currently 166 wildfires burning in the province, with 82 per cent of those classified as "being held" or "under control."
"Over the last week, there were 24 new fire starts and three fires started in the last 24 hours," the BCWS said in the update, adding that the majority of those fires were held under one hectare.
"Though a downturn in activity has been observed, there is still no season ending weather in the forecast as conditions remain dry with above seasonal temperatures throughout most of the province," the service continued.
Compared to the devastating 2021 season, 2022 has been a down year for wildfires. The season started slowly with cooler-than-average weather and above-average precipitation in June.
Despite the slow start, there had been a total of 1,577 fires sparked in the province in 2022 as of Friday. That's only slightly lower than the 1,610 fires seen in 2021, according to the BCWS.
On average, over the last 10 years, there have been 1,403 wildfires per year in B.C.
Though there were nearly as many of them, this year's fires burned a much smaller land area than 2021's did. So far in 2022, 109,104 hectares – or about 1,091 square kilometres – have burned. In 2021, the total was 868,204 hectares, or about 8,682 square kilometres.
B.C.'s 10-year average is 433,186 hectares (roughly 4,332 square kilometres) of wildfire damage per year.
As of last week, there are no longer any wildfires of note in B.C. The last one – the Battleship Mountain wildfire, which caused the evacuation of the entire district of Hudson's Hope earlier this month – was classified as "being held" and removed from the list on Sept. 24.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
A healthy lifestyle can mitigate genetic risk for early death by 62%, study suggests
Even if your genetics put you at greater risk for early death, a healthy lifestyle could help you significantly combat it, according to a new study.
When you have a moment's notice to evacuate, what do you take?
Knowing what to have at home, or take with you for an evacuation, can be useful and even life-saving.
Steal a car, lose your driver's licence under new Ontario proposal
Repeat car thieves may face lengthy license bans under proposed changes to Ontario’s Highway Traffic Act.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
No, a best-selling American writing duo didn't pen a Galen Weston romance novel
You would be forgiven for thinking Christina Lauren's latest romance novel stars a hunky reimagining of Loblaw chairman Galen G. Weston.
Lice removal companies in the GTA say they're seeing a surge in infestations this year
After nearly 15 years in business, Shawnda Walker said the past 12 months has been the busiest year yet for her North York head lice removal company.
Ellen DeGeneres addresses the 'hurtful' end of her talk show in new stand-up set
Ellen DeGeneres is reflecting on how her talk show came to an end in her newest Netflix special, 'Ellen's Last Stand ... Up Tour.'
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Sunchips, Munchies recalled by Frito Lay Canada for possible salmonella contamination
Frito Lay Canada is recalling two of its most popular snacks due to a possible risk of salmonella contamination.