With a heatwave set to begin today on Vancouver Island, the province is taking proactive steps to make sure residents will be provided for if heat-related or smoke-related illnesses occur.
Temperatures and humidity is expected to reach 29 to 35 degrees Celsius during the day combined with elevated overnight temperature and overnight lows that will provide little relief at night nearing 16 degrees Celsius.
The province is increasing acute care staff and taking additional measures to keep people cool and safe in hospital.
Elected surgeries will be postponed in Kelowna, Vernon, and Kamloops to help aid an expected increase in illness due to wildfires or the heatwave.
As of Tuesday, August 10th, 260 wildfires are burning in BC, with 60 evacuation orders affecting approximately 5,392 properties.
In the past two days, there have been 29 new fires.
See also: Here’s what you can do to prevent a wildfire and what to do if you spot one
So far, 32% of wildfires have been human-caused, 55.8% are caused by lightning, and 12.2% have an unknown cause.
The wildfire situation is still evolving but here are current statistics of the situation as of 7 p.m. on Tuesday, August 10th.
Current Active Wildfires
There are currently 260 wildfires burning in BC and since April 1st, there have been 1, 454 wildfires and 655,934hectares burned.
Most wildfires are occurring in the Interior, North, and Vancouver Coastal areas of BC; Vancouver Island has yet to experience any serious wildfires this year.
Here’s where there wildfires are currently burning:
Cariboo: 33
Coastal: 21
Kamloops: 80
Northwest: 6
Prince George: 57
Southeast: 63
Evacuation Orders
Since wildfires began this summer, and Lytton was destroyed by a wildfire, evacuation orders due to wildfires have been more frequent.
To date, BC has called 60 evacuation orders and 105 evacuation alerts in total; most being in central BC.
Central BC is currently experiencing the most orders and alerts, with 49 evacuation orders and 85 alerts.
Southeast BC is experiencing two orders and nine alerts; meanwhile, Northeast BC is experiencing five orders and seven alerts and the Southwest has three orders and three alerts.
5,392 properties in BC are being ordered to evacuate.
Crews and Equipment
There are a total of out-of-province firefighters attending the BC wildfires.
Firefighters and other personnel currently fighting the fires is at 3,633, which includes out-of-province and aerial support.
There are also 203 aerial support staff.
Vancouver Island
Last week an out-of-control wildfire near Duncan, called Copper Canyon, grew to 32-hectares within a week.
The CVRD and BC Wildfire Centre issued one evacuation order for a property near the Copper Canyon wildfire.
The wildfire is currently being held, according to the BC Wildfire Service.
Fire information officer for Coastal Fire Centre, Dorthe Jakobsen, told Victoria Buzz that the smoky, dry conditions were presenting challenges to emergency responders at Copper Canyon.
If you spot a wildfire, report it as soon as possible by calling 1.800.663.5555 or *5555 on your cell phone.
