Surge of wildfire activity follows stretch of hot, dry weather across B.C.

The number of wildfires in British Columbia has almost doubled in just a week. Multiple days in a row of hot, dry weather have seen the wildfire activity surge.

Some of the 120 current wildfires have been caused by human activity, some by lightning, while others are yet to be determined.

The number of active fires could continue to rise, despite a change in the weather, 1130 Meteorologist Michael Kuss explains.

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“We do have cooler weather rolling across the province over the next couple of days, in the wake of a cold front, and a slight change in the weather pattern, but with light precipitation, we’re getting active weather,” Kuss said.

“We’ve had lightning strikes across the Interior of B.C. throughout the overnight. There’s more expected today, and we could still see some active weather stretching into the early part of the weekend, as well.”

Closer to home, on Thursday, BC Wildfire and municipal crews rushed to a wildfire start at the Katzie Slough, close to the Pitt River near Sheridan Hill. Crews were able to make quick work of the fire, and as of Friday morning, the fire is classified as being held at 0.1 hectares.

“It’s been incredibly dry over the last couple of weeks, and that’s increased the fire danger rating, especially across western parts of the province, but most of southern B.C., with the exception of the southeast,” Kuss explained.

In an update just before noon Friday, residents of more than 100 properties near Peachland were told they could return home due to progress made on the Drought Hill wildfire.

The BC Wildfire Service says the fire is now “being held” at 57 hectares in size.

Meanwhile, the Bear Creek fire near Harrison Lake has grown to 124 hectares and is currently the only “wildfire of note” in the province.

The Regional District of Nanaimo issued an evacuation order for properties on the north side of Cameron Lake due to an out-of-control wildfire on the Island. The Wesley Ridge fire, now sitting at around 60 hectares and burning north of Highway 4, has prompted a local state of emergency.

Kuss explains that the wildfire danger rating has only gone up, now clocking in at “high” to “extreme” across the entire province.

“And that includes the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island as well. We are getting cooler weather rolling in, but not a lot of precipitation in there,” he said.

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