The province is preparing for what could be a bad wildfire season if we don't see more rain soon. In August 2021, the Mt. Hayes wildfire northwest of Ladysmith was one of the largest regional fires of the season, covering over 60 hectares. (submitted photo/Jakob Mayfield)

By Jordan Davidson

not enough water

‘We’re ready for anything:’ dry fall and winter has province prepared for worst-case wildfire scenarios

Apr 13, 2023 | 4:48 PM

NANAIMO — Provincial officials are readying for what could be a busy fire season this summer.

That’s according to the ministry of emergency management and climate readiness, which released its report on April 13, on seasonal emergency preparedness in advance of the spring snow melt and wildfire season.

Weather conditions from Aug. 2022 until now have been examined extensively, including extreme temperatures and precipitation or lack of precipitation in many cases, to try and anticipate how this wildfire season will unfold.

Fire information officer with the Coastal Fire Centre Julia Caranci said it’s still too soon to tell what the 2023 wildfire season will look like.

“What happens over the spring months is generally a very good indicator of what type of fire season we will have, and May and June are typically the wet months here on the coast, including Vancouver Island. If May and June are dry months, we can expect a busier fire season. If they are wet months, we will have a more moderate, or what we might call a typical fire season.”

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The BC Wildfire Service said there have been widespread precipitation deficits across most of the province from July 2022 until March 2023, including Nanaimo, which saw less than half of the average precipitation in March.

October 2022 was also one of the warmest and driest, making it the second warmest on record for Nanaimo, breaking a few daytime highs.

The province said those drought-like conditions from the fall have carried over into the spring, while the first few months of the year has offered little relief from the dry conditions.

Caranci said they are seeing a trend of fire seasons lasting longer and extending well into the fall. In Oct. 2022 numerous active wildfires were still burning on the coast, including on Vancouver Island.

Preparation is paramount, she said.

“Our staffing level has increased over last year, and so we’re increasing our capacity not only for wildfires but other emergencies such as flooding, and we’re moving towards all hazards in the coming years as well… we’re currently in training mode, which means physical fitness training and other courses, our preparatory levels will increase as conditions change. We’re ready for anything that comes out way.”

Speaking of being prepared, Caranci encourages residents and homeowners to do their part to help reduce the dangers of wildfires.

She said now is the time to prepare your own property before conditions become too hot and dry.

Caranci said the FireSmartBC website has a wealth of information to fire-proof your property.

“There are currently no prohibitions in place in the Coast Fire Centre… however, regardless of what the conditions are or whether or not we have prohibitions in place, we really ask everyone to be extremely cautious when using open fire.”

There have already been at least 11 wildfires in B.C. in April, two of which were caused by humans while the other nine are still under investigation.

Across the province

Despite this lack of moisture, the province is still concerned about the potential for increased flood hazard in areas with high snowpack, as the cooler spring weather so far is expected to continue, delaying snow melt further.

This weather is due to the fading but third consecutive La Nina conditions causing cooler water off of B.C.’s coasts, while the seasonal outlook is hinting at a warmer June and July for the province.

Prescribed burns already conducted in the Southern Interior saw aggressive fire behaviour, which indicates dry fuel and elevated drought conditions.

The province said the likelihood of an early grass fire season depends on how long it takes the snowpack to melt, and the severity and number of wildfires in July and August will depend on the amount of rain received in June, something that can’t be accurately forecasted yet.

Spring is typically the wettest season of the year for the Interior.

While there is still a lot of unlikelihood in the predicted weather forecasts, the province is preparing for a number of scenarios, but the chances of flooding or wildfires is currently in the hands of Mother Nature.

For more information on potential flood risks, you can click here to go to the River Forcast Centre.

More information on the BC Wildfire Service can be found here.

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jordan@nanaimonewsnow.com

On Twitter: @JordanDHeyNow