Southern B.C. to face highest wildfire potential over the next 48 hours

B.C. wildfire officials say the focus is going to be on the next 48 hours, as lightning and higher winds could cause new fires across the province, but particularly in the southern two-thirds.

Cliff Chapman, director of provincial operations for the BC Wildfire Service said in an update on Tuesday that, “In particular in the southern half of the province, but really in the northeast as well, are fine fuels are as dry as they’re going to be. They’re as dry as they can get, which means they are highly susceptible to wildfires and they’re highly susceptible to rapid spread days.”

He added that the southern half of the province has the potential for the most extreme wildfire behaviour in the next 48 hours.

“Our wildfires are usually about 60 per cent started by lightning and in the next 48 hours we are going to see a high potential for lightning across the province,” Chapman said.

B.C. Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Kelly Greene said there are currently eight evacuation orders in place throughout the province due to wildfires. Seven of those are related to the Brunswick Creek wildfire complex near Boston Bar.

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Greene said more than 230 properties are under an evacuation order, while nearly 300 properties are under an evacuation alert.

0:56 Nearly 25,000 hectares across B.C. burned this year, says minister

Ravi Parmar, B.C.’s Minister of Forests and the minister responsible for the B.C. Wildfire Service said that since April 1, approximately 25,000 hectares have burned across the province from just over 440 fires.

“I want to recognize the resilience we’ve seen from communities across the Fraser Canyon,” he said.

“At the same time, I want to thank the hundreds of personnel working in very challenging terrain around the clock to protect those communities. They have been supported by heavy equipment, structure protection specialists, First Nations, local fire departments and aviation crew, including two night-vision-equipped helicopter groups.”

Check out where the wildfires are burning on the B.C. wildfire map.