Dry, hot conditions fuelling aggressive B.C. wildfires

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) – The heat wave and low humidity are fuelling aggressive wildfires across the province, with the BC Wildfire Service saying there has been some “extreme” fire behaviour at the northern part of the Sparks Lake fire northwest of Kamloops.

However, firefighting crews are concentrating on southern flanks that are closest to communities.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District has downgraded part of an evacuation order for 110 properties along Kamloops Lake, which are now on alert.

There are roughly 250 wildfires burning across B.C., many of which were sparked by people. The fires are making air quality a concern for places like Kelowna and Kamloops.

Related video: Drought, growing fires and fewer places to go as wildfires rage in B.C.

Environment Canada has issued heat warnings and special weather statements for inland sections of the north and central coasts and much of southern B.C.

Billions in losses, thousands could die if wildfire response unchanged: report

A team of scientists from B.C., the U.S., and Spain says Western Canada must address the threats posed by highly destructive wildfires or face deadly consequences.

The scientists, including Mathieu Bourbonnais, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences at UBC Okanagan, predict devastating wildfires, such as those currently burning in B.C. and elsewhere in the country, will be commonplace by 2050.

The group has released a white paper, predicting billions of dollars in fire suppression and indirect costs, as well as hundreds or thousands of premature deaths due to wildfire smoke exposure, if climate change and fire causes are not resolved.

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The warning comes as statistics from the B.C. government show 1,251 wildfires have scorched more than 4,500 square km of land since the start of the fire season on April 1, or just slightly more than one and a half times the size of Metro Vancouver.

Three dozen of those wildfires are considered extremely threatening or highly visible. They include the 395 square km fire southwest of 100 Mile House that remains out of control and has prompted an evacuation alert for another 161 properties on Wednesday.