Wildfire season is being extended through B.C., with a special focus on Vancouver Island and northeastern portions of the province. (BC Wildfire Service)

By Alex Rawnsley

not over yet

Fire season extending with special focus on Vancouver Island & northeastern B.C.

Sep 1, 2022 | 4:15 PM

NANAIMO — A flip of the calendar over to September has not brought about a reduction in fire risk.

Danger ratings remain at high or extreme through much of the Island after weeks without notable rainfall and several stretches of heat. Forecasts suggest the risk of wildfire will extend well into fall.

Neal McLoughlin, superintendent of predictive services with the BC Wildfire Service said during a provincal update on Thursday, Sep. 1, temperatures have been above normal and rainfall well below for much of the province, however, favourable conditions have helped fire crews in part.

“We had above normal over winter precipitation, cooler spring temperatures, late snow melt at upper elevations and an overall late start to the fire season,” McLoughlin said. “In general, the weather pattern produced light winds and stable atmospheres and those play a big role in limiting fire growth.”

As of Thursday, the province has seen 1,355 wildfires reported since April 1, burning around 43,000 hectares of land which is roughly 17 per cent of the 20 year average.

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Last year’s fire season saw 865,000 hectares burnt province-wide amid heat domes and record droughts.

Lightning has been the main cause of fire activity this year, with B.C. at one of its lowest levels for human-caused fires ever.

“There was over 98,000 lightning strikes recorded in August throughout the province and of those, 85 per cent of the 889 new fire starts were indeed lightning-caused,” McLoughlin said.

But it’s a transition to fall due over the coming weeks which is bringing a little more concern than usual.

Fuel for fire availabilities through certain sections of the province, including both Vancouver Island and the northeastern portions, are above average.

McLoughlin likened it to trying to start a campfire — it’s best done with lots of dry material.

Without rain, these build-up indices will continue to climb in those parts of the province and so there still is hazards in the southwest corner and northeast corner of the province. This is also aligning where we’re seeing some of our current fire activity.”

Little relief is in sight, at least short term.

Pacific Ocean temperatures are three to five degrees above normal and a warmer than normal September is forecast for much of the province, especially on Vancouver Island.

Warm temperatures, dry forest and pending fall storms are a troublesome combination, according to McLoughlin.

“One of the key things that have been keeping our fire sizes smaller this year, is that winds have been generally light and stable. As we transition into more fall patterns, there is the possibility for stronger winds.”

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alex@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @alexrawnsley