B.C. wildfire season setting records as more hot weather on horizon

Hot weather will continue to challenge firefighters in B.C. this week, as statistics released Monday confirmed that the 2023 wildfire season has already broken some records.

Much of the area burned so far has come about as a result of the Donnie Creek blaze, 158 kilometres north of Fort St. John in northeastern B.C.

The fire is burning over an area of 2,404.8 square kilometres as of 8 p.m. Monday, one of the largest fires on record in the province — although not as large as the 2017 Plateau Fire near Williams Lake, an amalgamation of several smaller fires that burned a total of 5,451 square kilometres.

The size of the Donnie Creek fire is comparable to the Capital Regional District, which covers much of the southern tip of Vancouver Island and is also close to the size of Metro Vancouver.

While the fire is not burning near major population centres, it has resulted in evacuation orders for a sparsely populated region primarily used by the forestry and oil and gas industry.

According to fire information officer Julia Caranci, the fire grew significantly due to two planned ignitions last week that burned a 55-kilometre portion along its southern flank in an effort to control it and create "confinement lines."

"When a fire is burning at the intensity that this fire has been burning at a particular time, it's too dangerous to put firefighters into a position where they are directly attacking it," she said. "So, that is the time, with larger fires, when we use fire to fight fire."

Much of B.C.'s most concerning fire activity so far this year has been concentrated in the province's northeast, but hot and dry conditions forecast for the province have led to concerns heading into summer.

The 2023 wildfire season has already seen more land burned than in 2022. The wildfire service says it's not unusual for boreal forests — like those in northeastern B.C. — to have fires this size during the spring, especially given previous drought conditions.

Wildfire service advises caution in backcountry

Numerous visible fires were ignited over the weekend, including on Vancouver Island and in the Okanagan.

The new fires have prompted concerns that this year could be particularly bad.

Statistics from the fire service show that, so far, most fires in the province are suspected to have been caused by humans. Historically, most fires during wildfire season are caused by lightning.

"Human-caused fires draw resources away from fires that aren't preventable, like the lightning-caused fires," said fire information officer Jean Strong on Sunday.

Strong says that it's important for people to follow their local fire prohibitions and practise fire safety while camping in the backcountry.

"There is a category two and three open burning prohibition provincewide at the moment," she said. "I would urge people to ensure that before they are lighting a campfire, that they're in an area that allows it."

Strong also says that it isn't just discarded cigarette butts that can cause fires but also chainsaws, campfires, and gas-fired vehicles like quad bikes or dirt bikes.