Officials warn of high or extreme fire danger warning in most of B.C. ahead of long weekend

With the B.C. Day long weekend here, officials are warning residents that the lingering heat wave could kick-start the wildfire season.

With the hot and dry weather and possible lightning in the forecast, the province is warning to people to stay alert.

“As we’re looking at this weekend, we’re expecting some dry lightning in areas of the province, especially the Kamloops Fire Centre and the Southeast Fire Centre,” said Jean Strong, provincial wildfire information officer.

Strong says the recent province-wide hot spell has melted snow at higher elevations and dried out the grasses, shrubs and trees. These conditions, Strong says, are ideal for wildfires to start quick and spread fast.

Since April 1, BC Wildfire Services has reported just over 380 wildfires in the province. At this time last year, B.C. already saw more than 1,200 wildfires in what was one of the worst wildfire seasons in the province’s history.

With hot and dry conditions expected over the weekend and into next week, crews say they’re ready for what’s expected to be a busy week.

“Currently we have about 66 initial attack crews either on fires or on standby ready to go, with another 48 available for being alerted,” said Wayne Desmond, provincial wildfire coordination officer. “Those resources are located across all our bases across the province.

BC Wildfire Services says of the 380 wildfires since April, 52 per cent were human caused.

“A lot of our fires might come from things like open burning when it’s not prohibited in the spring,” said Strong. “Might be caused by a structure fire or vehicle fire, so not necessarily just campfires and cigarette butts that we’re looking at when we talk about human starts.”

The fire danger rating is either high or extreme in most parts of the province. Currently there is no campfire ban at B.C. campsites, though officials say that could change in the weeks ahead.

“We’re asking everyone to be very cautious,” said Smart. “Whether that’s having a campfire or otherwise being in the backcountry.”

BC Wildfire Service also advises those camping or spending time in the backcountry to have an emergency plan in place and to stay informed, as conditions can change quickly. They’re also urging anyone who spots a wildfire to report it immediately to 1-800-663-5555 (*5555 from a cell phone). Wildfires can also be reported through the BC Wildfire Services App.