2018 wildfires not as damaging as last year’s
Although wildfires have broken last year’s record for the area of land burned, their effects on people have been much lower, the B.C. government said Thursday.
Fire information officer Kevin Skrepnek, of the B.C. Wildfire Service, said fires had scorched about 12,520 square kilometres this season, compared with 12,160 square kilometres last year.
“We have set that record in terms of total area burned, but definitely not the worst season on record from the broader sense,” he said.
The 2017 and 2003 fire seasons did more damage in terms of property, environmental and timber values, he said, although he did not have complete figures for those years readily available.
Emergency Management B.C. said it has received 155 reports of structures lost, compared with the 310 reported by the same date last year. However, it noted that figure could change as people return home and report what they find.
In terms of fire suppression costs, Skrepnek said the service has spent $316 million this season, compared with $442 million for the same date last year.
While Skrepnek said it was too early to say the worst is over, he was optimistic that might be the case. Lower temperatures and higher humidity across most of the province has reduced the likelihood of dry lightning and helped firefighters knock down dozens of fires in recent days, bringing the total number of active fires down to 512. Forecasts suggest that will continue into the long weekend.
“What we’re seeing right now, weatherwise, could be a bit of a temporary reprieve, so we obviously have to stay fairly vigilant,” Skrepnek said.
“But based on the current outlook and the prospects for some additional rain, it’s definitely good news for most of the province right now.”
One exception is the area between Smithers and Prince George, which falls under a rain shadow and has seen very little precipitation, he said.
Even in areas where the fire danger might have decreased, Skrepnek said it’s important to obey campfire bans and other restrictions.
“We don’t want people getting complacent out there,” he said. “It’s still very dry in many areas and, of course, we do still have a campfire ban in place for almost the entire province, with the exception of the fog zone on the western coast of Vancouver Island and for some parts of northeastern B.C. where they’ve seen a considerable amount of rain.”
He urged people going into the backcountry to obey area restrictions and avoid active wildfire sites.