“We fully expect there are going to be new fires on the landscape.”
That is according to Prince George Fire Centre (PGFC) Information Officer Sharon Nickel, who says around 19,000 lightning strikes were recorded in the fire centre in the last week.
The PGFC is once again by far the hardest hit by wildfires so far this year, 607,712 hectares (6,077.12 square kilometers) have burned in the area compared to just 5,767 hectares in the next most active fire centre (Kamloops).
According to the BC Wildfire Service, there have been 231 fires in the fire centre this year, 121 of which are active. Of those, 47 are listed as out of control.
“Being in July, a lot of fires are expected to be lightning caused,” she explained.
The province’s northeast corner, encompassing Fort St. John and Fort Nelson, is still the area of the province that has seen the most fire activity, though Nickel said “the Vanderhoof – Fort St. James area is also fairly dry and we had a lot of fires through there last year.”
The BC Wildfire Service announced last week they had requested more fire fighters and equipment nationally and internationally.
Nickel said a unit crew from Nova Scotia has arrived and is working in the Dawson Creek Zone, and Australian resources will arrive in Prince George over the weekend and into next week.
“A lot of western Canada is also requesting a lot of out of province support, and the united states is looking at needing additional resources too,” she said. “We have requests in with our partner organizations and countries, but that will depend on priority areas across the country.”
Category 1, 2, and 3 fire bans are in place in the Prince George Fire Centre, meaning no open flame, fireworks, or lanterns other than propane fireplaces or camp stoves are allowed in the area.
You can learn more about this year’s fire season here.
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