Lower Mainland rain won’t do much to lower wildfire risk: meteorologist

While you may have heard a bit of rain hit your roof overnight and you may see a few more drops today, it looks like it won’t do much to lessen the wildfire risk in B.C.

CityNews Meteorologist Michael Kuss explains that the rain bands are tracking across parts of the province as a low moves through central B.C. and toward Alberta.

“We’re seeing rain this morning in through the central Interior, down through Quesnel, approaching Williams Lake. It’s not super active as far as lightning is concerned, at this hour, but the winds are going to pick up as this low exits, and that’s not great for the forest firefights around B.C. and into Alberta,” Kuss said.

Kuss says a band of precipitation is also working its way through the Okanagan and “sliding off through the fire-ravaged southeastern corner of the province.”

“So, there’s some good news in there. But of course, with this system moving across the province, the risk is there for lightning, and the winds will whip up, although, the pattern sets up for cooler air flooding into B.C., into the B.C. Interior over the next few days. And that’s a positive,” he explained.

But it’s not all good news, Kuss explains.

“Although temperatures are going to be cooler and we’re getting some wet weather, the winds could be a concern over the next 24 to 36 hours,” he added.

The cooler weather comes Thursday after the Cariboo Regional District issued an evacuation order for the Moose Valley fire area north of Big Lake on Wednesday evening.

Suspected to have been sparked by lightning, the Moose Valley wildfire is “out-of-control” and burning at 240 hectares as of Wednesday evening, and was first discovered on Monday, July 22.

Meanwhile, multiple structure fires have been reported in the Albertan town of Jasper as crews work to protect critical infrastructure after a wildfire reached the town late Wednesday. It was confirmed flames from one of two threatening wildfires that were being driven by strong winds and reached the southern edge of the townsite around 6:30 p.m.

Parks Canada confirmed “significant loss” within the town as of 10 p.m. Wednesday and say structural firefighters continue to work to protect the wastewater treatment plant, communications facilities, the Trans Mountain Pipeline and other pieces of critical infrastructure.

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