Climate models 'don't look great' as B.C. faces summer of wildfires and drought, officials say
Rising temperatures, low rainfall in the forecast means little relief from record-breaking season
The alarming wildfire and drought conditions affecting communities across B.C. are not expected to ease significantly in the coming weeks, according to officials, as the province faces forecasts of more hot and dry weather.
Officials from the provincial government, B.C. Wildfire Service and River Forecast Centre provided an update Tuesday morning on the dual climate crises facing British Columbians this summer and said there will be more trying times ahead, beginning with a rise in temperatures this week.
"The models, they don't look great for the rest of the summer," Cliff Chapman, the director of wildfire operations for the B.C. Wildfire Service, told reporters.
He explained that July and August tend to be dry months in a normal year, but Environment Canada is predicting higher-than-average temperatures, along with less precipitation.
While the bulk of wildfire activity in B.C. so far this year has been concentrated in the north, Chapman said firefighters are expecting to see a shift southward as the summer progresses.
As an example, he pointed to the St. Mary's River wildfire near Cranbrook that forced the evacuation of dozens of homes in the ʔaq̓am community. Officials say some homes have been lost to the blaze.
As of this week, the 2023 season has already become the most destructive on record in terms of area burned, and there are still two months of summer left. By noon on Tuesday, nearly 14,000 square kilometres had gone up in flames, and 392 fires were active.
The vast majority of the 235 new fires that have started in the last seven days have been caused by lightning, according to Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Bowinn Ma. Just 13 of those fires — or less than six per cent — were caused by human activity.
"I want to thank British Columbians for their incredible diligence over the last week," she said.
But the recent electrical storms could create new challenges for firefighters, Chapman added.
"With the amount of lightning we saw in this province over the course of the last 10 days, combined with the drought that we are experiencing, we have high potential for holdover fires," he said.
"What that means is a fire where lightning struck, it might have come with some rain, and it just sits there dormant."
There's no way to detect holdover fires, Chapman explained, but after a period of hot and dry weather, they can flare up and start spreading.
Watch | Officials give update on worsening B.C. fires and drought:
Farmers facing 'hard time' during drought
International crews from the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand and Australia are now in B.C. to help fight the fires, Ma said, and Canadian military resources are being deployed as well. About 75 soldiers are expected to arrive in the Vanderhoof area on Tuesday, and another 75 will head to Burns Lake on Wednesday.
Chapman added that aviation companies have stepped up to offer resources in response to a call to action from the wildfire service, and B.C. now has 50 more helicopters available than it did three weeks ago.
The supply of water pumps and hoses, on the other hand, is concerning. Chapman said firefighters have enough for now, but the wildfire service has made a request for more to the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre.
Meanwhile, farmers are struggling to get the hay and grains they need to feed their animals in the face of worsening drought, Agriculture Minister Pam Alexis said Tuesday.
"I know this is an emotional and hard time for our farmers," she said.
"As summer goes on, this isn't going to get any easier, but I promise we will be with the agricultural community."
According to Alexis, the government is working to find more sources of feed, but some farmers have informed her that they may have to sell their cattle.
Dave Campbell, head of the River Forecast Centre, said drought conditions aren't likely to improve before summer is over.
Although many municipal and regional drinking water supplies are still doing well, Ma urged local governments to consider tighter restrictions and asked residents and businesses across the province to conserve water in any way they can.
"Serious drought ... may worsen into the fall and summer or even into the next year," she said.
If the dry conditions continue through the fall, into winter and spring, the province could see even worse fires and drought next year, Ma added.
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