Surge of wildfires in the B.C. Interior
40% of blazes caused by people; campfire bans remain in B.C.
KAMLOOPS — A combination of lightning and tinder-dry conditions has led to more than two dozen new wildfires starting in B.C. over the past two days.
Kevin Skrepnek of the B.C. Wildfire Service said the majority of the 17 fires that started Monday were the result of lightning. Another 11 fires had started by midday Tuesday, bringing the total number of fires burning in the province to 146.
Since April, there have been 928 fires and just over 500 of them have been confirmed to be naturally caused, while another 364 were human caused.
Skrepnek said proportion is consistent with previous years where roughly 60 per cent of fires are natural and 40 per cent are caused by people.
Bans on campfires for most of the province as well as the use of off-road vehicles on public lands in the Cariboo, Kamloops and Southeast fire centres remain in place as preventative measures.
“We remind everyone to remain vigilant … and just [be] extremely careful with any activity that could potentially spark a wildfire,” Skrepnek said.
Brent Barclay of the B.C. Ministry of Agriculture said an estimated 30,000 farm animals are within the fire-affected areas, and losses have not yet been tallied.
About 500 ranchers have received support or information through emergency response crews and the province is spending $6 million on rebuilding fences along highways and Crown ranges to protect livestock and drivers.
Other efforts to support ranchers include relocating livestock or delivering feed, but Barclay said it’s unclear when ranchers and other agriculture workers can expect any financial compensation.
Heavy smoke from the fires continues to pose a health risk for infants, the elderly and people with chronic health conditions, and is causing poor visibility on some highways.