Friday, March 29, 2024

Here’s an update on BC’s wildfire situation as of Wednesday, August 25th

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As of Tuesday, August 24th, 249 wildfires are burning in BC, with 60 evacuation orders affecting approximately 5,392 properties.

Nearly half of the wildfires currently burning in BC are classified as out of control.

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, 55.7% are caused by lightning, and 12.3% 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 24th.

Current Active Wildfires

There are currently 260 wildfires burning in BC and since April 1st, there have been 1,551 wildfires and 861,283 hectares burned.

Most wildfires are occurring in the Interior, North, and Vancouver Coastal areas of BC; Vancouver Island is currently experiencing one wildfire of note near Ladysmith.

Here’s where wildfires are currently burning:

Cariboo: 26
Coastal: 18
Kamloops: 86
Northwest: 5
Prince George: 52
Southeast: 62

Evacuation Orders

Since wildfires began this summer, and Lytton was destroyed by a wildfire, evacuation orders due to wildfires have been more frequent.

There are currently 48 evacuation orders and 96 evacuation alerts in total; most being in central BC.

Central BC is currently experiencing the most orders and alerts, with 46 evacuation orders and 83 alerts.

Southeast BC is experiencing six alerts; meanwhile, Northeast BC is experiencing two alerts and the Southwest has three alerts.

5,392 properties in BC are being ordered to evacuate.

Crews and Equipment

There are a total of 464 out-of-province firefighters attending the BC wildfires.

Firefighters and other personnel currently fighting the fires is at 3,374 which includes out-of-province and aerial support.

There are also 161 aerial support staff.

Vancouver Island

Currently, there are three wildfires on Vancouver Island—Mount Hayes and Copper Canyon near Duncan and a new wildfire near Port Alberni that is burning at less than a hectare.  

The Copper Canyon wildfire is under control at 32 hectares.

The Mount Hayes fire is currently categorized as a “Fire of Note” by the BC Wildfire Service—its estimated size is 73 hectares. 

If you spot a wildfire, report it as soon as possible by calling 1.800.663.5555 or *5555 on your cell phone.

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