Although B.C.鈥檚 2017 wildfire season is now considered the worst on record, Lakes District residents can consider themselves lucky.
In fact, fire activity in the Northwest Fire Centre was significantly below the 10-year average in 2017.
While the 10-year average is 86 wildfires up until Sept. 11, the region saw 39 wildfires during the same period in 2017. In 2016, 75 wildfires occurred in the region during the same period.
According to Olivia Pojar, information officer for the Northwest Fire Centre, weather and lightening strikes are the main factors.
鈥淭he [Northwest Fire Centre] area, in general, did not see the same weather as the rest of B.C. during the late spring/early summer,鈥� she said. 鈥淲hile south and central B.C. remained dry and warm, the northwest saw more seasonal temperatures and regular precipitation.鈥�
鈥淭he northwest region also, on average, does not see as many lightning strikes as other parts of the province, and this was evident in 2017,鈥� she continued.
鈥淲here the weather conditions are wetter and cooler and there is less lightning, then there tends to be less incidence of wildfire,鈥� she added.
Effective Sept. 12, 2017, open burning was once again allowed throughout the Northwest Fire Centre. The prohibition on the use of some fire-related equipment such as sky lanterns, fireworks, binary exploding targets and burn barrels was also lifted.
Since April 1, 1249 fires have burned through roughly 1.1 million hectares across B.C. These fires have cost the province over $500 million. As of Sept. 13, 155 fires were still burning across the province.
According to Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad, as fires in British Columbia continue to burn, fire-affected ranchers, residents, and businesses need to know that their situation will not worsen due to government inaction.
Last week Rustad said he was disappointed that forests minister Doug Donaldson 鈥渞efused to answer鈥� how the NDP government plans to fill in the void left behind by seasonal firefighters in the first question period of the legislative session.
鈥淩ather than answering, we saw the minister and the government he represents dance around the issue and go on tangents instead of directly addressing these concerns,鈥� said Rustad.
But as cooler temperatures and calmer weather moves in to the province, the wildfire situation across B.C. is getting less critical. The provincial state of emergency, which was last extended on Sept. 1 for the fourth time, expired last Friday.
Emergency Management B.C. executive director Chris Duffy said Canadian military members will be phased out this week. Meanwhile just under 3000 personnel continue to fight the fires, along with 1400 contractors and another 261 out-of-province personnel.
As wildfire crews continue to fight fires burning in the province, officials with the B.C. government are now looking ahead at the transition from response to recovery.
Agriculture minister Lana Popham took part in last week鈥檚 wildfire media call to remind ranchers and farmers that help is on the way. The federal and provincial governments will provide $20 million to assist with those heavily impacted by wildfires.
The money will go towards agriculture recovery such as veterinary costs, housing costs and feed costs for animals, and their transportation. It will also include funds for re-establishing feed facilities, labour costs for fencing repair, critical infrastructure not covered by insurance, loss of breeding animals and the reseeding of crops.
With hunting season underway, anyone out in the backcountry is being reminded to watch out as active operations are still underway and there is no reason for people to become complacent just yet.
And although fire danger ratings have dropped in the Northwest Fire Centre due to recent rain and cooler temperatures, the public is strongly encouraged to exercise caution with any outdoor burning or campfire use.
Anyone planning to burn a pile larger than two metres high by three metres wide or conduct a grass burn larger than 0.2 hectares must obtain a burn registration number ahead of time by calling 1-888 797-1717.
- With files from Carmen Weld & Ragnar Haagen
