VANCOUVER – The year 2023 has now officially become British Columbia’s most severe wildfire season on record in terms of the area consumed by flames, with nearly 14,000 square kilometers of land burned since April 1.
According to the BC Wildfire Service, as of Tuesday morning, a total of 1,190 fires have occurred during this season, resulting in approximately 1,398,597 hectares burned. This surpasses the previous record set in 2018 when 2,117 wildfires scorched 1,354,284 hectares.
Despite the current statistics, it’s important to note that wildfire season data is collected from April 1 to March 31 of the following year, leaving room for the 2023 season to potentially worsen.
Cliff Chapman, Director of Wildfire Operations for BCWS, expressed concerns during a news conference, stating that the models for the rest of the summer do not appear favorable. He mentioned that July and August are typically considered the core fire season in British Columbia, and modeling from Environment and Climate Change Canada suggests higher-than-average temperatures and below-average rainfall across much of the province.
Acknowledging the record-breaking area burned, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness Bowinn Ma emphasized that there may still be more challenges ahead. As of Tuesday morning, around 150 individuals have been ordered to evacuate their homes due to wildfires, with approximately 3,400 people on evacuation alert.
Among those affected by evacuation orders are members of the ʔaq̓am First Nation (St. Mary’s Indian Band), who had to flee the encroaching St. Mary’s River fire near Cranbrook on Monday night. Unfortunately, Ma confirmed that homes and other structures have been lost in that particular blaze.
Minister Ma expressed gratitude to the federal government for activating the Canadian Armed Forces to assist in wildfire response efforts, as well as to firefighting crews from Mexico, the United States, New Zealand, and Australia who have been deployed to British Columbia.
While additional resources are being coordinated through the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre, Ma stressed the importance of collective efforts in wildfire preparedness and safety. She noted that only 13 out of the 235 new wildfire starts over the past week were caused by human activities.
Ma thanked British Columbians for their diligence and urged continued caution in activities that could potentially lead to wildfires. Heightened awareness and responsible behavior remain crucial in mitigating the risks associated with wildfires.