Since April 1, 2023, 1,586 wildfires have burned over 1.56 million hectares of land in B.C. Fire activity over the past few weeks has been steady, with periods of increased fire behaviour in the Kamloops and Southeast fire centres. This activity is expected to persist and potentially increase over the coming days due to hot, dry conditions and a risk of thunderstorms in areas where fuels are highly susceptible to ignition.

Nearly 4,000 personnel are currently engaged in wildfire response across B.C. This figure includes personnel from the BC Wildfire Service personnel, B.C. contract crews, the United States, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, Costa Rica, Ontario, the Canadian Armed Forces and other support personnel.

There are currently 2,748 properties under Evacuation Alert and 683 properties under Evacuation Order. These figures continue to change as the wildfire situation evolves. For a summary of active wildfire evacuation notices, please visit EmergencyInfoBC.

Weather

An upper ridge continues to build over the province, extending the warming and drying trend that has been affecting the southern half of the province northwards. As a result, fuel indices in the north are expected to gradually rebound with sustained hot and dry conditions in the forecast.

The lightning risk today has been relatively low, but it is expected to increase in the coming days. Dry lightning remains a risk over the Kootenays and may also impact the southern coast by the end of tomorrow. Winds will be variable and terrain-driven, reaching 50-60 km/hr around convective cells.

Fire Centre	Campfires	Category 2 Open Burning	Category 3 Open Burning	Forest Use  and Area Restrictions
Cariboo Fire Centre				N/A
Coastal Fire Centre				N/A
Kamloops Fire Centre				N/A
Northwest Fire Centre
Prince George Fire Centre				N/A
Southeast Fire Centre

The next Provincial Wildfire Status Update will be be provided on August 8, 2023.