All indicators are flashing red for the northeastern parts of B.C. as fire season approaches.
The lack of spring rain, combined with above-average temperatures, several years of drought, early snowmelt and overwintering fires, already has several major wildfires burning in that part of the province, said Neal McLoughlin, BC Wildfire Service's superintendent of predictive services, in a briefing to the media on Monday, June 9.
"Just really helping to dry out the fuels this spring and set that corner of the province up for early-season fire activity," he said.
Other areas with somewhat concerning conditions include the southwestern interior, the Chilcotin and the northwest.
McLoughlin did hold out hope that this season might not be as bad as the previous two in the northeast, given the damage already done in those years.
"We have something that's also working against fire spread, and that is just the sheer area that's burnt already," he said.
A portion of Highway 97, south of Fort Nelson, was closed on Monday morning due to fires, and evacuation orders are underway.
Emergency Management Minister Kelly Greene said there are currently 10 active evacuation orders, affecting approximately 120 households. There are also five evacuation alerts. The Prince George Fire Centre, which encompasses northeastern B.C., is the only region that has a full campfire ban in place in parts of its zone.
Other parts of the province are not doing as badly.
Snowpack is a factor — roughly half the snow has melted already, though at this time of year, there should be two-thirds left — but it is the ongoing severe drought conditions in the northeast that set it apart. BC Wildfire Services is also holding out hope for rain later this week in parts of the province.
"June rain can really set the tone for the remainder of the fire season," Mcloughlin said.
But with the successive years of drought in the northeast, he said it would take 150 millimetres of rain to make an impact. This means the expectation is a difficult road ahead for the Prince George Fire Centre.
"Really, the storyline for us right now, with respect to fire, is in that northeast corner," McLoughlin said.
The current provincial situation
There are currently three wildfires of note burning in the province, all three in northeastern B.C. Approximately 80 wildfires are burning throughout the province.
About 100 kilometres west of Fort Nelson is the Summit Lake wildfire, which is an estimated 19,081 hectares. It is burning on both sides of Highway 97.
The Pocket Knife Creek wildfire is 61,050 hectares and burning along Highway 97 about 150 kilometres south of Fort Nelson.
According to DriveBC, the fire forced the closure of the highway between Grouse Trail and Toad Mountain Road for 161.9 kilometres. The next road update is expected Tuesday (June 10) at 8 a.m.
About 65 kilometres south of Dawson Creek is the Kiskatinaw River wildfire, which is an estimated 21,679 hectares. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said at the briefing that the wildfire has crossed the border into Alberta.
Kevin Dunbar of the Ministry of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness said structures were lost in that fire, but a full assessment has yet to be completed.
"We have reports at the moment that there have been some structures lost, up to seven structures lost, some of them being old," he said. "Derelict buildings, some mobile homes, etc."
So far, 70 per cent of B.C.'s wildfires this season are human-caused, but that is likely because lightning has yet to become as much of a factor as it does later in the season.
Parmar said there are roughly 1,300 wildfire personnel ready for what he worries will be a tough fire season.
"As always, the province is hoping for the best, but preparing for the worst," he said.
