BC Wildfire Service would be hard pressed convincing residents in the Okanagan that the province has seen a below average wildfire season in 2018, but that’s exactly what the numbers show.
Statistics released today show that just over 56,415 hectares (ha) have burned across the province since April, a far cry for the enormous 377,800 ha burned by this time last year and below the seasonal average of 107,266 ha.
Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service.
While far less than has burnt across the province in 2018, wildfire services have remained extremely busy responding to blazes.
Crews have responded to a total of 810 wildfires this season, a small jump from the seasonal average for this time of year of 762.
Photo Credit: BC Wildfire Service.
In the Kamloops Fire Centre, which includes the Okanagan and South Thompson regions, 190 wildfires have burnt a total of 9, 158 ha since the beginning of April.
Currently, there are 28 wildfires burning in the region, the largest of which is the Mount Eanus wildfire in Peachland that is estimated at 1,793 ha.
BC Wildfire Services has announced a campfire ban will go into effect on Thursday, July 26 at noon for much of southern BC including the Kamloops and Southeast fire centres.
The ban will prohibit the following activities:
- fireworks (including firecrackers)
- sky lanterns
- burn barrels or burn cages of any size or description
- binary exploding targets (pre-packaged or homemade explosives, such as Tannerite, Thundershot, Gryphon, Firebird SS65, Sure Shot, or similar products)
- tiki torches and similar kinds of torches
- chimineas, outdoor stoves and other portable campfire apparatuses that are not CSA-approved or ULC-approved
For up to date information on fire activity throughout the region and across the province, click here.
