There are two categories of wildfire starts in B.C.: human-caused and lightning. Any fire not started by lightning is categorized as ‘human-caused’.
Why don’t we provide more detail about human-caused fires?
Wildfire investigations can be complex and may take weeks or even months to complete. We employ fire origin and cause specialists to conduct investigations in accordance with international standards to determine the cause of a fire. They may look for:
- Ignition sources
- Burn patterns
- Physical evidence
- Weather history
A common misconception is that most human-caused wildfires are started by either cigarette butts or campfires. There are many other ways that wildfires can be caused by people (e.g. equipment use or recreational activities). With current wildfire maps and information available online, explicitly identifying a human-cause could inadvertently place blame on property owners or companies without due investigation and process. To prevent misidentification and protect personal privacy, it is essential to handle this information responsibly.
Some public sources of information include:
- Updating our guidance documents that provide tips on safer burning practices
- Recent updates to the Open Fire and Safer Burning section of our website to include safer burning tips and make these documents easier to find
- Regular posts on Facebook and Instagram reminding the public to use fire carefully and providing safer burning tips
- Videos and other materials to provide visuals for safer burning tips
If members of the public are looking for further information on statistics for current and past fire seasons, that information can be found on the BC Wildfire Service Dashboard.
For more information:
Wildfire investigations – Province of British Columbia
Make sure today’s burn doesn’t become tomorrow’s wildfire – BC Wildfire Service