After early summer conditions kick-started this year’s wildfire season, the BC Wildfire Service says recent cooling temperatures are a welcomed pause when facing compounded seasons of drought.
“We do not have any active wildfires on Vancouver Island at this time which is great to see,” says Berg, a COFC fire information officer. That’s as of Saturday afternoon in the Coastal Fire Centre (COFC), with 10 active wildfires, five considered human-caused, four confirmed lightning, and one undetermined.
While the reduced number of active fires is welcomed good news, the season didn’t start out slow. Over the next two days more cool conditions are expected, and should further reduce the risk of wildfires in the coastal region, a welcomed trend after this year’s early summer conditions made for an early wildfire season response start.
“We’re sitting above our 10-year average in terms of total fires to date,” says Erika Berg, COFC fire information officer.
The hot and dry early summer conditions led to the BCWS’ campfire ban in the COFC region. With improved conditions, that ban was lifted by the Service on May 15, though some municipalities choosing to keep the ban in place for their region.
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“The campfire ban didn’t necessarily decrease the number of fires, overall more so the conditions have been a bit more seasonal – cooling off in the last two weeks,” Berg says.
But a few weeks of cooling conditions doesn’t account for a few seasons of drought.
“We’re trying to catch up after years of compounding drought. Though this bit of precipitation is positive in reducing fire risk, it doesn’t remove the risk entirely, especially if there’s some drier days ahead so we’re constantly assessing these conditions.”
The province’s latest snow conditions issued this week says hot weather conditions that led to a rapid snowpack melt over the first 10 days of May has since slowed considerably due to a shift in cooler temperatures in mid-May.
“On average, by May 15th approximately one-quarter of the peak snowpack melts. This year, approximately 40% of the mountain snowpack melted by mid-May,” states the province.
Environment Canada’s forecast for Greater Victoria reports a mix of sun and cloud with a high of 17 on Sunday and showers with a high of 16 on Monday.
With further cooling to expected Sunday and rain on Monday, Berg says it will certainly help reduce the risk.
“It will dampen fuels which makes ignition less likely which is good in terms of inhibiting new starts as well as further suppressing existing active wildfires,” she says.
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