Premier David Evey on July 11 addresses raging wildfires and worsening drought conditions, as Canada faces its once-in-a-century wildfires B.C. is no exception, he said, adding that the road ahead is very challenging.
More than two-thirds of the 349 wildfires currently burning in B.C. are in northwestern B.C., according to a report released on July 13 by the BC Wildfire Service. Thunderstorms over the weekend have sparked fresh wildfires, prompting further evacuation orders and advisories in areas close to the wildfires.
As of Sunday afternoon, 150 people had left their homes and hundreds more had been advised to evacuate. The state government had earmarked $204 million in this year’s budget to fight the wildfires, but as of July 10, less than a month into the summer, it had already spent about $203 million.
Premier Evey thanked firefighters from the United States and Mexico who are fighting the fires on the ground. He said he expects more foreign aid and equipment to fight the fire, especially from the air.
Wildfire status for 2023 season released by BC Wildfire Service on July 13 Number of wildfires so far: 1,042 (2022: 272, 10-year average: 576) Area burned so far: 1,227,052 ha (2022: 8,894 ha, 10-year average: 76,008 ha) wildfires Causes: 33% human-caused, 6% spontaneous combustion, 61% currently unknown.