(Vancouver) The Forest Fire Protection Agency says favourable weather conditions have allowed wildland fire crews to make good progress in battling hundreds of fires.
“Significant wildfires” can threaten public safety, a community or critical infrastructure, such as a road.
The BC Wildfire Service lifted that designation on Monday for the Corya Creek wildfire, about 170 km northeast of Terrace.
But fire information officer Emelie Peacock says there are still some evacuation orders and alerts impacting communities across the province.
Mme Peacock said the change in designation doesn’t mean wildfire season is over in B.C. She said there are still more than 700 firefighters and 100 aircraft battling wildfires in the province.
She points out that southern regions have recently experienced heavy rains, but some northern regions continue to experience drought conditions. In addition, strong winds create risks of falling trees on wildland firefighters.
The BC Wildfire Service says the number of active fires in the province has dropped to about 295, continuing a downward trend since Friday, when there were about 340 fires burning.
Return of drought
In a new update, the service notes that rain is expected to fall mainly on the coast, with winds intensifying in the south. Thus, a drying trend is expected to occur quickly after the rainfall.
The BC Wildfire Service warns that British Columbia is “still in the thick” of its wildfire season, but is pleased firefighters are taking full advantage of the reduced fire activity and nice weather.
“Several large fires have moved from ‘contained’ to ‘under control’, and several have entered the ‘mopping up’ phase,” it said.
The service said earlier that while most of southern British Columbia received rain and some parts even saw heavy precipitation over the weekend, those conditions were accompanied by wind gusts reaching 102 km/h.
PHOTO DARRYL DYCK, CANADIAN PRESS ARCHIVES
In 2023, a record wildfire season in British Columbia, more than 28,000 square kilometres of land were burned and communities were evacuated in regions such as the Shuswap.
The wind “downed trees along fire lines in the south” and forced a fire camp in Invermere to relocate, but no one was injured.
The number of “out of control” wildfires in the province has now fallen to about 79.
The BC Wildfire Service reports that more than 10,000 square kilometres of land have been burned in British Columbia during the current fire season, which began on March 1.er april.
In 2023, the province’s record wildfire season, more than 28,000 square kilometres of land were burned and communities were evacuated in areas such as the Okanagan and Shuswap.
Environment Canada is predicting a return to warmer, drier weather for much of British Columbia heading into the Labour Day long weekend.
Evacuations still underway in Manitoba and Saskatchewan
Nearly 3,800 First Nations people in Saskatchewan and Manitoba have still not been able to return to their homes due to nearby wildfires.
The Canadian Red Cross says it is helping more than 2,300 people in the isolated Bunibonibee Cree Nation community in northeastern Manitoba with housing, food, transportation and supplies.
Chief Richard Hart says crews have made progress fighting the fire and hope to contain it this week.
The Canadian Red Cross is also supporting residents of two other First Nations in northeastern Manitoba.
In Saskatchewan, nearly 1,500 people from the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation in the northeast of the province are still living away from home.
The forest fire is not under control and teams continue to fight it.