British Columbia’s cool spring has delayed the start of fire season in the province, according to the head of the BC Wildfire Service.
“We are seeing sort of a delayed start to what typically would be the start of fire season first week of July,” Brent Martin, BCWS deputy director, said Friday in a news conference.
“We really haven’t come into the conditions yet that would promote severe fire as we start to enter the start of this particular period of time.”
Martin said there are some areas of concern in the Okanagan and Cariboo, but nothing “abnormally dry.”
He said he expects longer days and higher temperatures will see the danger rating increase in the coming weeks.
“We’re anticipating starting to see sort of a slow escalation and buildup of hazards and a general increase of fire activity as we move into the month of July and August, as one would expect,” Martin said.
Year-to-date, the BC Wildfire Service has recorded 167 wildfires in the province, well shy of the 10-year average of 319 for this time.
