Most of B.C. under campfire ban as heat, lightning likely to ramp up wildfire risk

Vancouver -

More campfire bans are on the way in British Columbia as a heat wave in many areas is not expected to ease for days and a moderate to extreme wildfire risk covers all but the southeast corner of the province.

The BC Wildfire Service says the Cassiar and Bulkley fire zones within the Northwest Fire Centre will prohibit campfires at noon, adding to the ban imposed in that centre's Nadina fire zone last month.

Campfires will also be prohibited across the entire Cariboo Fire Centre at noon on Friday.

That leaves the Southeast Fire Centre and one zone within the Northwest Fire Centre as the only B.C. areas where campfires will still be permitted.

The expanded bans come as five temperature records were set Wednesday from northeastern B.C. to Vancouver Island, and Environment Canada warns of possible lightning storms across much of the interior.

The wildfire service reports more than 100 active fires in B.C., most of them concentrated in the northeast, including a suspected lightning-caused fire south of Fort St. James that was spotted Wednesday and has the potential to cut the only road to the community.

“Multiple initial attack crews are currently responding to assess the fire and determine additional resource needs, ” the wildfire service said in its description of the blaze that had charred half-a-square-kilometre of grass, brush and heavy timber on the west side of Highway 27 within hours of flaring up.

A heavy equipment team, air tankers and helicopters were also being deployed to the area about two hours by road northwest of Prince George, the wildfire service said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 6, 2023.