B.C. drought conditions expected to get worse: BC Wildfire Service

The BC Wildfire Service says drought conditions in the province are expected to get worse this summer as the weather continues to heat up.

This week, temperatures in the Lower Mainland are expected to reach upward of the 30° C mark, with temperatures feeling like 35° in parts Wednesday.

Unsurprisingly, the service notes that several regions in the province broke new records for “their driest Junes.”

“Average temperatures were one-to-two degrees warmer than normal for the Interior of B.C., while coastal conditions were close to average,” the service says.

“Not only was it warm, but it was dry. So, we’ve seen those drought conditions that we’ve been speaking to you since the beginning of the season really persist, and in fact deepen, as we get into the core of our fire season here,” Matt MacDonald, the lead forecaster with the BC Wildfire Service, added. 

Related articles: 

• Lower Mainland in for another scorcher, temperatures soar into 30s

• Lightning strikes carpet northeast B.C., active wildfire count climbs

• B.C. expecting hotter-than-normal summer: ECCC

Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) released its summer outlook at the end of June, predicting dry conditions and higher-than-normal temperatures until at least the end of August for most of the country.

The wildfire service says July and August are typically the driest months, but notes “the elevated drought conditions will persist and likely worsen.”

“Fuels are increasingly available to burn due to worsening drought conditions. These conditions are not expected to improve over this summer,” the service notes.

It says with the dryness anticipated to continue, it is concerned about weather events — citing a risk of thunderstorms and winds that “will escalate provincial fire load and stress impression capacity.”

Dozens of fires over the Canada Day long weekend were sparked by lightning, the service adds.

“Our fuels are really increasingly dry and available to burn throughout most regions in the province. We’re expecting a significant number of lightning strikes here in the coming days,” MacDonald said. 

(BC Wildfire Service Image)

Cliff Chapman, the director of wildfire operations with the BC Wildfire Service, says although pockets of the province have seen rain, it hasn’t been enough. 

“The fire season started early it was the middle of April, and…we haven’t seen a break. In the northeast, there has been days where they’ve seen a little bit of rain, but not nearly enough to have an impact on the fires that are on the landscape as well as potentially new starts from lightning and or human-caused activity,” he said. 

To battle some of the large blazes that are currently burning in B.C., 60 personnel are headed over from the United States, along with 100 firefighters from Mexico, to help.

“Those resources will help support our fire suppression efforts in the north, allowing us the ability to rest some of our own staff and also allowing us the ability to have preparedness resources ready for new starts in the south,” Chapman said. 

Effective at 12 pm on Fri. July 7, 2023, Category 2 open burning will be prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre to help prevent human-caused wildfires and protect public safety. A Category 3 open burning prohibition has been in since May 18. https://t.co/tirFvPrm1f pic.twitter.com/ffxaNMJDm7

— BC Wildfire Service (@BCGovFireInfo) July 5, 2023

It’s unlikely that people will be able to have an open campfire anytime soon, as the service adds more widespread fire prohibitions will be coming.

There are various bans already in place, including a campfire ban that covers most of the Coastal Fire Centre.

“Prevention is a critical piece in B.C. as we move into warming and drying conditions that we’ve seen already two or three times through the spring. We really need to expect that July and August could be hot and dry for the entire two months, we may see very limited rain,” Chapman said. 

With files from Michael Ranger and Charlie Carey