Northeast B.C. of ‘greatest concern’ this fire season: BC Wildfire Service

While spring rainfall and normal temperatures have meant that an early onset of a prolonged fire season in B.C. has been staved off, the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says it is most concerned about the northeast of the province this fire season due to the continuing multi-year drought.

In a wildfire update with the firefighting service on Monday, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Kelly Greene said that it’s clear that the wildfire season is well underway across western Canada, “and that includes our province here, British Columbia.”

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“There are currently 10 evacuation orders in place, affecting approximately 120 households in the Peace River Regional District, Fort Nelson First Nation, and Northern Rockies Regional Municipality. There are also five evacuation alerts,” Greene shared.

“This is an incredibly difficult time for people who have been evacuated from their homes or who are preparing to do so. The province is here to support you, and I want to thank everyone for following these orders and for being prepared to leave on short notice,” she added.

The BC Wildfire Service explained that its long-range forecast expects a “warmer than normal summer” across much of the province.

It added that the northeast will experience “continued fire activity” throughout the coming months because of the drought and overwintering fires.

The wildfire service said that there’s no indication that there’ll be enough rainfall in the northeast to “alleviate elevated drought conditions.”

“The likelihood of an active summer fire season is growing in regions of the province with persistent drought, including the southwestern Interior, Chilcotin, and far northwest regions,” the BCWS explained.

Monday’s update comes on the heels of an unseasonably warm weekend, which saw a dozen one-day temperature records fall on Sunday.

In an interview with 1130 NewsRadio, UBC Okanagan Assistant Professor Mathieu Bourbonnais explains that the wildfires in the northeast of the province are following trends of long-term droughts and less precipitation this spring.

“What we are seeing in northeastern B.C. is actually similar to what is happening in Saskatchewan, Alberta and Manitoba, where they did not get much precipitation in the spring,” he said.

“In B.C., we have had very active fire seasons in four of the last seven ones.”

Certain parts of B.C. experience drought

Contributing to the overall summer forecast, the BCWS says that the provincial snowpack is also below normal, averaging at just 61 per cent of normal across B.C.

“Low snowpack will limit surface runoff, stream flows, and fuel moisture recharge, significantly affecting ongoing drought conditions into summer 2025,” the wildfire service said.

“Low snowpack, early snowmelt, and lingering impacts from ongoing drought are pointing towards elevated drought hazards for this summer,” it added.

Bourbonnais and his team agree, “This year, specifically over the winter, snowpack levels were quite low in a lot of areas relative to annual normal.”

And low snowfall in the winter indicates drought.

“We are into moderate to high levels of drought in certain parts of the province,” Bourbonnais concluded.

“Similar to previous years, some regions of the province have not had kind of the same levels of precipitation over multiple years.”

B.C. Minister Greene added that the province, and all its residents, need to be prepared for the upcoming season, “no matter where you live in B.C.”

“The province has been stepping up our preparedness efforts. Just last week, my ministry announced $7 million to support 139 Emergency Operations Centers across British Columbia. These investments are about making sure communities have the tools and resources that they need to protect people and communities, and are just the latest in the long line of investments that we’ve made to increase our overall readiness,” she explained.

“But preparedness doesn’t stop at the provincial level. It starts at home, and that’s why I’m asking everyone to have a plan in place now, before there’s an emergency.

“Now is the time to make sure you have your grab-and-go bag ready for you and your family, including any pets. Grab-and-go bags should include several days’ food and water, including clothing, toiletries, and important medications.”

Bourbonnais and his research team also say that B.C. residents and people who visit to the province have to include the risks of wildfires into their summer plans, especially in the back country.

“That they are ready to evacuate if we get into an aggressive fire season,” Bourbonnais said.

The research team also suggest people with health conditions should keep an eye on air quality alerts and stay indoors when there are advisories. “Prepare yourself for if it is going to be a smoky summer,” Bourbonnais said.

The team explains that wildfire smoke can worsen asthma, trigger cardiac events and impact your mental health.

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