There’s a high risk of wildfires on most of Vancouver Island after days of record-setting heat and a lack of rain, said the B.C. Wildfire Service’s coastal fire centre in Parksville.
The Island is rated mostly “high danger” with an extreme risk on some of the Gulf Islands — including Salt Spring and Pender — as well as the tip of North Saanich and the northern tip of Vancouver Island, said fire information officer Donna MacPherson.
The only moderate danger rating is a patch just south of Barkley Sound which is benefiting from marine moisture.
“It’s really hot and dry and the forest is struggling with drought,” MacPherson said Thursday.
The centre co-ordinates wildfire suppression and prevention across 16.5 million hectares including the Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast, Vancouver Island, the Gulf Islands and Haida Gwaii — the most heavily populated area in the province.
After days of record- breaking heat, trees and other plants are drying “or well beyond that,” said MacPherson. Grass and plants with shallow root systems on the Island are brittle while trees with deeper root systems might be able to draw on some moisture, “but each day without rain it gets a little worse.”
When it’s this dry, days and nights of sustained rain are needed to replenish the soil’s moisture, she said.
Premier John Horgan, speaking with Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth from the legislature press theatre on Thursday, addressed catastrophic fires that razed the village of Lytton and tore through surrounding forest. The fires are under investigation.
Horgan said residents on the Island saw a slight temperature drop as the heat moves inland, but the the fire risk remains high in most parts of the province.
“Although we’ve seen a reduction in heat here on the coast, it is still intensely hot as you get into Kamloops and into the Rockies, and then, of course, into Alberta, where the heat will be moving,” said Horgan.
“I cannot stress enough how extreme the fire risk is at this time in almost every part of B.C.” Horgan urged British Columbians to listen carefully to officials and heed warnings.
The coastal fire centre is also concerned and said it was “grateful for the public for not starting fires,” said MacPherson. A provincial fire ban is in effect. In addition, fire officials are warning the public to take extra precautions such as extinguishing cigarette butts in water bottles and keeping other forms of ignition away from dry forested areas.
Horgan said lightning strikes can’t be avoided, but people can be cautious when in the forest.
The City of Langford took to social media on Thursday to remind residents that all open fires, including campfires, are banned. “All permits are suspended and no new permits will be issued until further notice,” said Langford Fire Rescue.
The coastal centre fears a recent wildfire caused by lightning on the northern tip of the Island could reignite. When lightning strikes, the heat it causes can stay well below the ground for some time before moving back up tree trunks, said MacPherson.
“We expect more fires to show up on the north tip of Vancouver Island,” she said.
Patrols were headed to the area on Thursday night to monitor the situation.
As the heat dome moves inland, the Island can expect a return to seasonal summer temperatures, MacPherson said.
The coastal centre is maintaining the resources it needs while readying itself to respond “to whatever requests come our way,” she said.
Horgan said the province has asked for more resources to help deal with evacuations and logistics. The federal government and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stand ready to send in resources, Horgan said.
