‘Be prepared,’ minister says as 149 wildfires burn in B.C.

After a wet start to the summer, the heat and risk of wildfires are quickly escalating, B.C.’s minister of emergency management and climate readiness shared on Thursday.

Bowinn Ma gave an update on the wildfire situation in the province on Thursday. She explained that while May and June brought a “welcome reprieve” the recent hot weather has brought drier conditions across B.C.

“As a result, the BC Wildfire Service is implementing a province-wide campfire ban effective noon tomorrow, on July 12. This means open burns of any kind, except those licensed for prescribed burns, will be prohibited everywhere in British Columbia, with the exception of Haida Gwaii,” Ma said.

Ma said that campfire bans are crucial to reducing the risk of human-caused wildfires.

“These bans are not implemented lightly and they are put in place so that we can help protect people, communities, and wildlife. We all have a role to play in fire prevention.”

The recent hot weather, which saw dozens of heat records broken over a span of four days, has brought with it prime conditions for wildfires.

“As of 9 a.m. this morning, there are 149 wildfires burning across B.C., with most of them in the Cariboo and Northeast Fire Center regions,” she said.

“There are currently 500,000 hectares of fire burning in the Prince George Fire Center today. And so while the rest of the province has benefited from some of the cooler and wetter conditions that we have seen in May and June, it’s important for us to remember that for those communities in the north, the fire season has already been well underway and has been for some time.”

There are currently two wildfires “of note” in the province, Ma explained, both in the Northwest Fire Centre.

“The good news is, in addition to contracted resources, we currently have access to our full complement of firefighting personnel of over 2000 people, with over 500 currently deployed on the ground doing the extraordinary work of keeping people safe and we are proactively working to secure additional out of province resources,” Ma said.

Ma explained that the province is working to get extra resources, as “it is possible, and we are preparing for the possibility that wildfire starts will increase in an accelerated manner from this day forward.”

She added that while the ministry is “comfortable” with the response to wildfires so far, it wants to be prepared.

“By being proactive in our request for additional resources, we can ensure that that lag that it often takes for additional resources to come in from out of province doesn’t impact our ability to protect communities and protect British Columbians,” she said, adding that the ministry has so far requested an extra six unit crews, totaling 160 firefighters from across the country.

“We are also making requests for incident management teams and additional advanced planners and fire behavior specialists from Australia and elsewhere,” she added.

While the province is getting prepared, Ma is urging residents to also be prepared, as nowhere in the province is expected to receive any kind of precipitation in the next 10 days.

“Visit preparedBC.ca, for information on emergency preparedness and to build an emergency plan,” she said. “When travelling, ensure that you have the most up-to-date information by checking drivebc.ca for road closures, conditions, and traffic updates.”

“Check emergencyinfobc.ca for the latest on emergency situations across the province. And of course, check the BC Wildfire Service app for the most up-to-date qualifying conditions and to report wildfires,” she said.

“Fire safety is everyone’s responsibility and it goes beyond just campfires. So, practice fire safety and adhere to all fire bans.”