OKANAGAN – Summer is officially upon us and extreme heat is expected this weekend. The forecast for the Okanagan shows temperatures near 40 degrees Celsius meaning an already “high” fire danger rating in the Kamloops Fire Centre, which includes the Okanagan Valley, could get even higher.
“There has been no precipitation in the forecast, that’s what brings the fire danger rating down relatively quickly,” says Kelsey Winter with the B.C. Wildfire Management Branch. “More areas will be “extreme” in their fire danger ratings by the weekend for sure.”
Winter says by this time last year, there had been nine occurrences when the weather stations in the Interior reached “extreme” in the fire danger rating. This year, there have already been more than 100 cases of “extreme” fire danger ratings in the region.
“A reminder that all fire we are seeing right now are human caused,” says Winter. “A reminder to be really careful when you’re outdoors, not just with fires, but also with things like cigarettes or exhaust pipes.”
Winter says it’s possible campfire bans may be put in place in the region as early as Thursday.
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