Key takeaways:
- One hundred sixty-two fires flared over the past week, according to B.C. Wildfire Service, but the majority are now out or under control.
- According to Strong, there were about 4,000 lightning strikes across the region between Friday morning and Saturday afternoon, and those have been liable for most new fires.
Authorities are poised to outlaw all campfires across the Coastal Fire Centre on Thursday, which has the Lower Mainland, Vancouver Island, the Sea-to-Sky corridor, and Sunshine Coast.
The announcement bans Haida Gwaii on Tuesday night as wildfire fighters continue fighting fires across B.C. However, a shift to cooler temperatures is predicted to bring some relief for units.
B.C. Wildfire Service information officer Jean Strong said units have been able to get the upper hand on most of the new blazes thanks to preparations ahead of expected lightning strikes and hot climate last week, along with support from members of the people who’ve reported fires as they pop up.
“Although it’s been a very active weekend, and we’ve noticed quite a few new blazes and some serious growth and behavior on some of the bigger ones, we’ve also seen a lot of sensation,” she said Tuesday.
Also read: Around 300 properties in B.C. Interior instructed to evacuate as wildfire quintuplesÂ
According to Strong, there were about 4,000 lightning strikes across the region between Friday morning and Saturday afternoon, and those have been liable for most new fires.
The wildfire service’s dashboard reveals there have been 162 new blazes across the province in the previous seven days, but most are either out, under control, or being held by firefighters.
About half of those fires were sparked within the Kamloops Fire Centre area in the southern Interior. Of those, nine still felt out of control.
“The remainder of the week, we are hoping some good news and some climate to give our teams the upper hand on some of those bigger fires,” Strong said.
Source – CBC News
