The Province

B.C. wildfires set record for devastatio­n

Almost 9,000 square kilometres affected and 149 blazes are still burning across province

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B.C. wildfires have destroyed a record amount of forest, brush and grassland, surpassing the devastatio­n of nearly 60 years ago.

Kevin Skrepnek with the B.C. Wildfire Service said about 8,944 square kilometres have been scorched by fires, breaking the 1958 record of 8,550 square kilometres.

With no rain in the forecast for the wildfire-ravaged southern parts of the province, Skrepnek said more land will be burned.

“Temperatur­es should be relatively seasonal going forward, so that’s one silver lining,” he said. “But the presence of wind and the lack of rain are going to be much more critical factors.”

A total of 1,029 fires have occurred since the April 1 start of the wildfire season, and 149 of them are still burning.

A fire that destroyed dozens of homes near Ashcroft six weeks ago has now consumed even more structures in the Green Lake area almost 100 kilometres away.

Thompson-Nicola Regional District spokeswoma­n Debbie Sell said crews have not been able to access the site to determine exactly what has been lost as the blaze that is more than 1,600 square kilometres in size continues to pose a danger.

Sell said affected property owners will be contacted as soon as specifics of damage are available.

RCMP is continuing to investigat­e human-caused fires and suspected arson.

Spokeswoma­n Dawn Roberts said charges against four males, all under the age of 18, are pending after a fire was set in a suburb of Williams Lake.

She said the four are also believed to be connected with a series of break-and-enters in the area that happened at the same time.

A trailer home that was destroyed in a fire 40 kilometres east of Alexis Creek has also been deemed a suspicious occurrence.

 ?? — THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES ?? Wildfires have already destroyed almost 9,000 square kilometres of B.C.’s forests, brush and grassland with dry conditions threatenin­g to push that record figure substantia­lly higher.
— THE CANADIAN PRESS FILES Wildfires have already destroyed almost 9,000 square kilometres of B.C.’s forests, brush and grassland with dry conditions threatenin­g to push that record figure substantia­lly higher.

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