The Prince George Fire Centre have recently reported the presence of visible smoke in some areas due to holdover fires from the 2023 wildfire season. However, there was no visible wildfire smoke in the Nadina Fire Centre.

Casda Thomas, BC Wildfire Service information officer from the Northwest Fire Centre, said that the majority of wildfires are extinguished through suppression efforts.

Thomas said that sections of a wildfire that remain active are typically suppressed through fall precipitation, and extinguished prior to snowfall; it is unusual for wildfires to burn through the winter in the Northwest Fire Centre. 鈥淩arely, during extreme drought conditions and in areas sheltered from precipitation or where deep layers of ground cover exists, fires can persist throughout the winter,鈥� she said.

鈥淲e have not seen any evidence through the winter that the wildfires from Nadina this past summer remain active. All reports of smoke have been investigated and were related to open burning and not to wildfire activity,鈥� she said.

She added that the Nadina Fire Zone will be implementing a monitoring plan in this spring which will include infrared scanning of several wildfires, including the fires in Tintagel, Parrot Lookout and Peacock Creek. Last summer鈥檚 active wildfires in remote areas will also be monitored by air.

According to Prince George Fire Centre鈥檚 press release, a holdover fire refers to a fire that remains undetected or dormant for a long period after it starts. This is particularly common for lightning-caused fires, fires of considerable size, and fires in areas with dry Duff Moisture Codes (DMC) and Drought Codes (DC). The DMC and DC indicate the dryness of fuels in the duff layer, which is approximately seven centimeters deep.

Holdover fires are a common occurrence for considerable-sized fires or in regions experiencing ongoing drought conditions. The BC Wildfire Service is monitoring the situation and will determine appropriate measures as spring approaches.

Large fires can move deep underground and remain undetected for a long time. The heat can simmer underground for days, weeks, or even months and then flare up when the weather dries out and temperatures rise.

To prevent holdover fires from causing damage, the BC Wildfire Service has protocols in place to patrol large fires when weather conditions could allow them to resurface. Ground and air patrols may be conducted to look for smoke and/or heat. Ground patrols focus on identifying smoke plumes and can be completed by staff from areas with good visibility of the size of concern. Air patrols also look for smoke plumes and can use thermal imaging to locate heat signatures.