Dry conditions prompt wildfire, drought concerns in B.C.
There is little relief for British Columbia's wildfire fight in the immediate forecast.
In the Coastal Fire Centre, the Newcastle Creek fire has grown to 208 hectares Friday and remains out of control.
It is more than five kilometres away from the Village of Sayward, which has not ordered any evacuations at this time.
But Jamie Pond didn’t want to take any chances. She and her husband took their boat to Echo Bay, where they have a home for work.
“For us, it's really concerning because we could lose everything we have there,” Pond told CTV News. “If there's a shift in the direction of winds, you know, five kilometres is not very far and it could shoot over that little mountain range so easily.”
There are no concerns of wind gusts at the moment, just more dry weather.
“We see forest fuels that are drying out until we have a significant amount of rainfall, which as we know is not in the current forecast,” said Kimberly Kelly, a spokesperson for the Coastal Fire Centre.
Armel Castellan, warning preparedness meteorologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada, said there is a small chance of rain for much of the South Coast, adding what the region needs is a "Juneuary."
This weather phenomenon is when June sees weather systems similar to those in January.
“These are the systems that are kind of nebulous; they don't move very quickly, like the winter storms that have a lot of power. These ones stick around and they bring some moisture and they're kind of what we need in order to really put to bed all of the dryness that we've been accumulating for months -- if not several seasons,” Castellan said.
The spring snowmelt is also almost gone, he said, which creates an even drier landscape.
“So it really does spell out pretty droughty looking bleak future for the coming weeks and months,” he said. “We're well into the start of a drought, when typically we haven't seen those numbers this early in the season – so, it is saying a lot.”
According to B.C.’s drought information portal, much of the province is seeing drought levels one and two, meaning adverse drought impacts are rare or unlikely.
The eastern Peace region is seeing possible negative impacts of drought.
Typically during this time of year, B.C. should be sitting at level zero, Castellan said.
Over to northeastern B.C. and the Cariboo region, there will be some storms and gusty winds where out-of-control wildfires continue to rage on.
“Very challenging conditions for fires that are already existing. And of course, possible lightning overnight Saturday into Sunday, which could start new fires on a landscape that is pretty parched and dry,” he said.
BC Wildfire Service encourages anyone who sees an out-of-control wildfire or campfire to call 1-800-663-5555 or *5555 on a cellphone.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Expert warns of food consumption habits amid rising prices
A new survey by Dalhousie University's Agri-Food Analytics Lab asked Canadians about their food consumption habits amid rising prices.
Documents reveal Ottawa's efforts to get Loblaw, Walmart on board with grocery code
It was evident to the federal government as early as last fall that Loblaw and Walmart might be holdouts to the grocery code of conduct, jeopardizing the project's success.
opinion The special relationship between King Charles and the Princess of Wales
Royal commentator Afua Hagan writes that when King Charles recently admitted Catherine to the Order of the Companions of Honour, it not only made history, but it reinforced the strong bond between the King and his beloved daughter-in-law.
Charlie Woods, son of Tiger, shoots 81 in U.S. Open qualifier
Charlie Woods failed to advance in a U.S. Open local qualifying event Thursday, shooting a 9-over 81 at Legacy Golf & Tennis Club.
Improve balance and build core strength with this exercise
When it comes to cardiovascular fitness, you may tend to focus on activities that move you forward, such as walking, running and cycling.
'I just want to be safe': Ukrainian man in Canada faces limbo amid consular freeze
A recent decision to restrict consular services for fighting-aged Ukrainian men has made a Ukrainian man in Canada feel less certain of his next steps — and worried he could be pulled back to the war.
B.C. tenants evicted for landlord's use after refusing large rent increase to take over neighbouring suite
Ashley Dickey and her mother rented part of the same Coquitlam duplex in three different decades under three different landlords.
Mountain guide dies after falling into a crevasse in Banff National Park
A man who fell into a crevasse while leading a backcountry ski group deep in the Canadian Rockies has died.
Dozens of U.S. deaths reveal risks of injecting sedatives into people restrained by police
The practice of giving sedatives to people detained by police has spread quietly across the U.S. over the last 15 years, built on questionable science and backed by police-aligned experts, an investigation led by The Associated Press has found.