While this past weekend’s rain provided some reprieve for crews fighting wildfires burning across the Kamloops Fire Centre, which includes the Okanagan, the B.C. Wildfire Service warns fire activity is expected to increase this month.
“We will expect to see another period of dry and warm weather coming in. I think we’re expecting to see slightly above average what we’re used to, so that’ll definitely increase fire activity in some areas,” said Shaelle Stearns, fire information officer.
So far this season, there have been 404 wildfires in the region. The 10-year average by this time in the fire season is only 235.
“It’s definitely due to those hot and dry conditions that we saw in the earlier months of the spring and summer,” Stearns said. “The 10-year average includes the 2017 and 2018 numbers and even with those, we’re still doubling that 10-year average right now.”
Provincially, there have been 1,327 wildfires sparked so far this season compared with the 10-year average of 1,000 up to date.
More than 557,000 hectares of land has burned across B.C. in comparison to a 10-year average of about 122,000 hectares.
According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, more than 70 per cent of the fires in B.C. this year have been caused by lightning and with the month of August more prone to lightning storms, there are concerns that fire starts will increase.
“Looking into August, we do know that generally speaking, we tend to see a little bit more lightning than we would in July,” said Stearns. “So with a chance of that causing more fires and our dry conditions, it is a really good reminder for people to remember that human-caused wildfires are entirely preventable and to practice extreme caution when you’re out camping or out in the backcountry for sure.”