Since April 1, 2023, 2,097 wildfires have burned over 2.25 million hectares of land in B.C. There are currently 411 active wildfires burning across the province. New wildfire activity remains stable and relatively quiet, with only eight new wildfires detected in the last three days.
Warm temperatures will increase wildfire behaviour slightly over the weekend, and some incidents that have appeared dormant over the past week may exhibit smoke and flames, particularly in the Southern Interior and the southern portion of the Coastal Fire Centre.
B.C. continues to gratefully receive support from Mexico, South Africa, Australia, Ontario, Newfoundland, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, Manitoba and the Yukon. Over the coming week more than 150 additional resources are anticipated from the United States, Saskatchewan and Ontario. Personnel from the Canadian Armed Forces remain deployed in the Mackenzie, Vanderhoof and Fort St. James regions.
Weather
Southern regions of the province have received varied amounts of precipitation recently, most notably in the southeast. Meanwhile, above seasonal hot and dry conditions persist in northern regions.
Regions of the province continue to dry as areas with previous precipitation are impacted by lowering relative humidity in the eastern part of the province and locally gusty winds in the interior through the weekend. Winds are starting to increase in the north and are further impacting fire indices. Temperatures are above seasonal across much of the province.
The longer term outlook is for generally dry conditions except for portions of the Northwest Fire Centre and the outer coast of B.C.
Wildfires of Note
Kamloops Fire Centre
Casper Creek (K71535)
Downton Lake (K71649)
Rossmoore Lake (K22024)
McDougall Creek (K52767)
Bush Creek East (K21633)
Stein Mountain (K71634)
Crater Creek (K52125)
Upper Park Rill Creek (K52813)
Coastal Fire Centre
Kookipi Creek (V11337)
Prince George Fire Centre
Great Beaver Lake (G51279)
Whitefish Lake (G51564)
North Lucas Lake (G41502)
Tatuk Lake (G41307)
Big Creek (G60666)
The next Provincial Wildfire Status Update will be provided on Sept 14, 2023.
Understanding Area Restrictions
There are currently multiple Area Restriction Orders in place on wildfires throughout British Columbia.
A Restricted Area Order, or area restriction, is a legal document administered through a local Fire Centre to prohibit access to areas where there are ongoing fire suppression activities. They’re established to limit the risk of wildfire occurring or to enforce the continued need to protect the public and emergency service personnel in active wildfire areas.
When a Restricted Area Order is established under section 11(2) of the Wildfire Act, a person must not remain in or enter the restricted area without the prior written authorization of an official designated for the purposes of the Wildfire Act, unless the person enters the area only in the course of:
- Travelling to or from his or her residence
- Using a highway as defined in the Transportation Act
- Travelling through or entering the area as a person acting in an official capacity that is connected or involved in incident operations
- Travelling through or entering the area for a purpose approved by an official of supporting wildfire suppression activities
Refer to current fire bans and restrictions in your Fire Centre to see area restrictions that are in place.
All trails and backroads that are not included within the boundary of Restricted Area Orders, Evacuation Orders, or are otherwise under municipal jurisdiction, remain open for public use.