fire season kicks off early with 13 blazes active

It is only April, and the BC Wildfire Service is currently reporting 13 ongoing fires in the province as of this Monday.

The wildfire season does not usually start until late April, but the sunny, warm weather over the weekend helped spark some new wildfires in B.C.—with the last one having started within the last 24 hours.

Just north of Woodcock, a 2.1-hectare wildfire was discovered on Sunday evening. The Northwest Fire Centre says it is under control and it is not expected to grow any more.

Another six new fires were discovered Friday and Saturday, according to the BC Wildfire Service website.

Especially the Prince George district is affected, with six of all 13 fires currently burning in the Rocky Mountain area of the province.

All but one fire are considered ‘under control,’ but a fire in a remote area northwest of Fort St. John has already burned 10 hectares of land. Based on current weather conditions and available resources, it expects the fire to remain and not to grow.

Just a few days ago, the BC Wildfire Service said that it continues to see drought-like conditions in some regions. The provincial government also urges residents to be prepared ahead of the upcoming wildfire season.

The province also provides wildfire cause statistics, which currently determine that 10 of the 13 fires have been caused by human activity, either by accident or intentionally.