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
4th Indian national arrested, charged with murder of Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Homicide investigators in B.C. say murder charges have been laid against a fourth Indian national in connection to the killing of Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar outside a Surrey gurdwara last year.
'I am angry': Alberta farmers will continue fight over world class motorsport resort
The rolling hills leading to the hamlet of Rosebud are dotted with sprawling farms and cattle pastures -- and a sign sporting a simple message: No Race Track.
Man ticketed after allegedly trespassing again at Drake's Bridle Path mansion to get his bike
A man who tried to access Drake’s Bridle Path mansion earlier this week returned to the property Saturday and was apprehended again for allegedly trespassing, Toronto police say.
Couple randomly attacked, 1 stabbed, by group of teens in Toronto, police say
A man has been transported to hospital after police say he was stabbed in a random attack carried out by a group of teens in Toronto on Friday night.
Millions of Canadians have been exposed to potentially toxic chemicals, and they're not going anywhere
For decades, North Bay, Ontario's water supply has harboured chemicals associated with liver and developmental issues, cancer and complications with pregnancy. It's far from the only city with that problem.
Biden calls Trump 'unhinged,' says 'something snapped' in former president after he lost 2020 U.S. election
U.S. President Joe Biden on Saturday called Donald Trump “clearly unhinged” and claimed that “something snapped” in the former president after he lost the 2020 election.
Wildfire that forced evacuation of Fort Nelson, B.C., caused by tree falling on wires, mayor says
The wildfire that prompted the evacuation of more than 3,000 people near Fort Nelson, B.C., was caused by a tree falling on wires, according to the municipality's mayor.
Switzerland's Nemo wins 68th Eurovision Song Contest
Swiss singer Nemo won the 68th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday night with 'The Code,' an operatic ode to the singer’s journey toward embracing their nongender identity.
IN PICTURES Northern lights dance across the night sky in southern Ont.
From London, to Grand Bend, Collingwood and Guelph, here are some highlights of Friday night and Saturday morning's northern lights display.