Coastal B.C. to see rain, but BC Wildfire Service ‘not counting on it’ for fighting blazes

While cooler temperatures and rain is in the forecast for some parts of southern B.C., including the Coastal Fire Centre, the BC Wildfire Service says it’s “not counting on it” when it comes to fighting the wildfires in the region.

“We may see some rain, especially in northern parts of our fire centre. It’s forecasted for Monday, Tuesday, but we don’t like to count on it. We do make plans as if it’s not going to arrive, as it’s very difficult to predict when we may see some precipitation,” Fire Information Officer Kyla Preto told CityNews.

Preto says while any rain that may fall is good news, the region will need to see prolonged periods of rain “to have any sort of meaningful impact on conditions.”

The Coastal Fire Centre has three “wildfires of note” as of Sunday, including the Davis Lake wildfire, just north of Mission.

Some rain and cooler temperatures are in the forecast for Monday and Tuesday. (Courtesy B.C. Government)

Preto says that fire, which was spotted on July 5, has been holding at 150 hectares.

“Our crews have been doing really great work for the last few days. We’ve been able to call out a number of fires or put them into under-control status. The Davis Lake wildfire is still active but we didn’t see any growth on it, and crews were able to complete some successful small ignition operations to help tie in the eastern flank. So, [we’re] making really good progress on that one.”

And even though cooler temperatures are in the forecast, Preto explains that fuels are “still very dry, especially in the southern portion of the province.”

“We’re seeing a high to extreme fire danger rating, and drought conditions are also causing forest health concerns and increasing danger tree problems for firefighters.”

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Preto says regardless of the forecast, the BC Wildfire Service makes sure it is resourced appropriately.

With the incoming cooler weather system, lightning strikes are a possibility, but Preto notes it’s difficult to predict where they will strike.

“If it does materialize, that could contribute to new starts. The thing with lightning is, even up to a week after a lightning storm has moved through, we could continue to see what we call ‘holdover fire starts.’

“So, where the lightning strikes the ground, it can stay hot and smolder under there until conditions are right, and then a fire can pop up because of that. So, if lightning does go through an area, we continue to monitor it for the days following just in case fires do pop up later,” she explained.

Because of the ongoing drought and tinder-dry conditions much of B.C. is seeing, Preto is reminding folks to exercise caution when outside.

“We’re seeing an unprecedented level of fire activity, really across Canada right now. So, it’s really important that we don’t divert crucial resources towards unnecessary human-caused wildfires.”

As of publication Sunday, more than 480 wildfires are burning across the province — up from about 460 on Saturday. Twenty-five wildfires are classified as “wildfires of note,” up from 22 Saturday.