By Canadian Press

British Columbia’s record-breaking wildfire season, by the numbers

Jul 18, 2023 | 12:20 PM

British Columbia’s wildfire season is now the most destructive on record, with about 14,000 square kilometres of the province burned, surpassing the previous high of 13,543 square kilometres set in 2018.

Here are some statistics about the current season from the BC Wildfire Service website, as of noon Pacific time, July 18.

Total area burned: 13,986 square kilometres

Fires currently burning: 398, including 21 fires of note

New fires in past 24 hours: 37

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Out-of-control fires: 260

Total number of fires this season: 1,190

Causes of all fires: Lightning, 65 per cent;  humans (deliberate and accidental) 29 per cent; unknown, 6 per cent.

Biggest single fire: Donnie Creek fire, northeastern B.C., 5,831 square kilometres 

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 18, 2023.

The Canadian Press