Temperatures in the Okanagan are rising, which means an increased fire risk is also very high.
The Kamloops Fire Center said conditions did not yet fully meet the criteria for a ban on bonfires, but it could be done very soon if the dry heat persists.
“One of the metrics we look at when implementing bans and restrictions is the construction index. It is the amount of fuel available for combustion and the dryness of those fuels. It looks at how fuel moisture can affect the intensity of a fire. With that being said, we have not yet reached the threshold to implement that restriction,” said BC Wildfire Information Director Karley Desrosiers.
“Going forward. If temperatures continue to stay high in the 30s and 40s, it is very likely that fuel and conditions will continue to be depleted.”
The downpours across the Okanagan over the past few months allowed the region to recover from last year’s severe drought, as well as delay the start of the fire season.
Mr Desrosiers said: “The crop is coming in due to a prolonged drought from last year, so conditions remain dry throughout the winter and we understand that a significant amount of rain will be needed to mitigate that dryness. .
“However, the rainfall we received in May and June helped delay and reduce the start of the fire season we already had.”
To date, the province has handled 347 forest fires that have burned 11,000 hectares, which is a significant difference from last year when the province faced 1,200 forest fires that burned about 400,000 hectares.
According to Global News meteorologist, Yvonne Schelle, hot dry weather is here to stay.
“The peak of heat across the Okanagan will be Wednesday, Thursday with temperatures soaring from 36 to 37 degrees and an overnight low of just 18 degrees. No regrets for the evening,” Schelle said.
“We will likely have heat warnings issued across the region. It will remain hot and dry. The big concern as we approach the next few days leading up to the end of the month will be the fire danger level, we are in the medium to high range and we won’t see any rain for the foreseeable future. “
Entering August, there is concern that extreme heat could continue, increasing the risk of wildfires.
“We are expecting an increase in firefighting activity. “We have additional crews on standby in areas where a fresh start is most likely,” Mr. Desrosiers added.
Recently lightning is one of the most common causes of fire. In the past seven days, 67 new fires broke out across the province, with 47 caused by lightning and 13 by human activity.
Currently, Category 2 and 3 open fires are banned in Kamloops Fire Center and most of the province, but by the end of the week they are expected to be banned across BC.
