'When, not if': British Columbians warned to prepare for wildfire evacuations
CTV
The provincial wildfire service is warning British Columbians to have a go-bag and make an evacuation plan with this year's wildfire season off to an alarming start.
The provincial wildfire service is warning British Columbians to have a go-bag and make an evacuation plan with this year’s wildfire season off to an alarming start.
The Donnie Creek Complex, which is a melding of what had been four distinct fires, has already burned an area larger than last year’s entire fire season combined – roughly the size of the Lower Mainland – and the number of fires so far is well above the same period last year, as well as the 10-year average.
“For most areas of the province it's a matter of when, not if, you will be threatened by a wildfire,” said BC Wildfire Service fire information officer, Jean Strong. “It's important we prepare as much as possible in advance.”
Natural Resources Canada’s Fire Weather Index shows nearly half the province in the top danger range, with the BC Wildfire Service’s “Danger rating map” showing two thirds of the province as moderate to high risk of wildfire, with pockets of extreme risk.
“Portions of the Donnie Creek wildfire had been aggressive fire behaviour in recent days as organized crown fire fronts advance into volatile black spruce and mature pine stand,” reads the situation report for the province’s biggest wildfire.
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s warning preparedness meteorologist for B.C. pointed out that not only was May an exceptionally dry month, but the province has faced drier-than-normal conditions for an extended period of time.
“The precipitation deficit over the entire province is actually multi-season long, you can look back even a couple years and most of the province is behind in precipitation numbers,” explained Armel Castellan.