Number of fires, area burned trending below 10-year average despite explosive growth

As more than a hundred wildfires continue to burn across B.C., officials say that help is on the way. Hundreds of personnel from across Canada and Mexico are expected to arrive in the coming weeks. Jack Rabb has an overview of this wildfire season.

By Jack Rabb

Posted August 1, 2026 11:39 am.

With out-of-control wildfires continuing to threaten a number of communities across the province B.C.’s wildfire season has taken an explosive turn over the past month, which an incoming cold front isn’t expected to slow down.

“We are anticipating that this will cause growth on many of our current incidents, as well as bring some lighting which could cause some new incidents this weekend as well,” said Aydan Coray, fire information officer, BC Wildfire Service.

Thirty separate evacuation orders covering hundreds of properties remain in effect, with some orders in the Squamish Lillooet and Thompson Nicola Regional Districts expanding Friday.

With hot, dry, and gusty conditions expected to prevail for weeks to come, the province has asked for help to get things under control.

“Over the next coming weeks, we’re expecting an influx of resources from Alberta, Yukon, Quebec, as well as Mexico,” said Coray.

But despite the frightening speed at which some of these fires have grown, if you zoom out. the province is actually faring relatively well.

According to UBC’s Centre for Wildfire Coexistence, the severity of B.C.’s wildfire seasons has actually been trending downwards in recent years.

A relative to a peak in 2023, which saw an area roughly equivalent to Vancouver Island burned at a cost of more than a billion dollars, last year’s season only saw a third of the area burned, at half the cost.

The numbers so far this year appear to be even lower.

“We are currently below, in both wildfires and hectares burned, compared to the 10-year average.”

Data from the BC Wildfire Service suggest the 232,000 hectares burned so far this year represents a 68 per cent decrease compared to the same time last year, but that’s small comfort for those communities with disaster breathing down their necks.

Officials say, whether it’s by obeying evacuation orders.

“These aren’t put into place on a whim. There’s a lot of thought and a lot of collaboration that goes into this with the local governments,” said Coray.

“Pay attention, please take them seriously. They’re not just a suggestion.”

Or respecting campfire bans, everybody has a role to play in making sure this fire season doesn’t get any worse.