Recent rainfall and cooler weather haven't been enough to reduce the drought conditions on Vancouver Island. Pictured is a BC Wildfire crew member using hand ignitions to reduce fuel for the McDougall Creek Wildfire near Kelowna. (BC Wildfire Service)

By Jordan Davidson

still dry

Bit of rain and cooler weather not enough to downgrade Vancouver Island’s drought conditions

Sep 7, 2023 | 4:26 PM

NANAIMO — While much of drought-stricken Vancouver Island is welcoming the more seasonal temperatures with the occasional rain shower recently, it’s not enough to put a dent in our drought conditions.

The Island is still at level five on the B.C. drought map, the highest the scale can go, while other sections of the Lower Mainland also remain at level five. Areas to the north such as the Central Coast Basin (level 4) and the Middle Fraser Basin (level 3) have recently been lowered.

Coastal Fire Centre information officer Jade Richardson said when soil gets this dry it can become hydrophobic, meaning the ground won’t initially absorb the water.

“It does take a significant rainfall, or very consecutive rainfalls to really make a huge change in terms of our fuel codes and the moisture within them…we are anticipating that temperatures may dry [grounds] out again slightly, and we are prepared with resourcing for that time.”

She said while they are always prepared for the worst-case fire scenarios, they are hopeful a seasonal turn in weather means more rainfall and steady, cooler temperatures.

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Extended summer conditions in September and October 2022 helped to kick start the current long-term drought.

While Vancouver Island has been spared the worst of the record-breaking wildfire season, a number of lightning-caused fires have been recently sparked on the north Island.

Smoke is still visible from the Mount Con Reid fire in Strathcona Provincial Park on Sept. 3. The wildfire was sparked on Aug. 6, and is being monitored closely as it currently does not pose a risk to any people or infrastructure. (Jordan Davidson/NanaimoNewsNOW)

A storm system near the end of August was responsible for at least 18 new wildfire starts on Aug. 28, but more have started since the Labour Day long weekend.

Richardson said they’re due to what they call “hold-over” fires.

“Fires that are started from those initial lightning strikes that we don’t see pop up until three, four, five days later. A lot of the weekend starts could be attributed to some of that holdover from the initial lightning event, and of course, we did pick up some additional fires in the north island during that as well.”

She said the majority of those fires are small, and located in steep, unattainable terrain where the safety of firefighters could be at risk.

So far none pose a risk to any infrastructure or human life.

A total of 166 wildfires have been reported on the Island from the start of April until Sept. 6, compared to only 74 at this time last year.

As of publishing, there were 29 wildfires burning on the Island, with 20 of them still listed as out-of-control. However, the vast majority of them are under a hectare in size and are located in areas which pose little risk.

— with files from Bill Nation, 97.3 The Eagle.

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