‘Dry lightning’ raising concerns for additional wildfire starts, prompting fire bans
Posted July 17, 2026 1:01 pm.
Last Updated July 17, 2026 1:03 pm.
With the wildfire season in B.C. well and truly underway, officials are looking out for the worst type of weather system for fires that’s rolling in across the Southern Interior: a dangerous combination of dry lightning and strong winds.
“The region is quite receptive to fire starts, especially from lightning. And with the thunderstorm activity and the lightning on its way with this weather system, there is a potential to see increased wildfire activity,” said Colin Fong, meteorologist for Environment Canada.
While these conditions persist, a fire ban has been put in place for the Northwest and Coastal Fire Centres.
With the Fire Danger Level at high, fire pits at Golden Ears Provincial Park will stay empty in an effort to mitigate the risk of human-caused fires.
“We’ve had lightning fires for forever, and the human-caused fires are the ones that are like completely avoidable,” says Mathieu Bourbonnais, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences at UBC Okanagan.
Fire behaviour expert Bourbonnais says while the ban may be frustrating for campers, it’s an essential step, not just for safety, but to ensure fire crews do not get overwhelmed.
“If we can remove that human element to it and fire bans being a part of that and people respecting that, you’re helping fire suppression organizations be more effective.”
The worst of this system is expected to continue to move west Friday, but with dry conditions expected to continue, we are not out of the woods just yet.
“Next week from Monday onwards, we’re going to see temperatures begin to recover and warm up again, especially over Southern B.C., which isn’t exactly a good recipe either for any potential existing or new fires by that time,” said Fong.
