Temperatures across the province are expected to rise as July continues, with the BC Wildfire Service expecting increased fire behavior towards the end of the month. Matt MacDonald, BCWS chief forecaster, presented a seasonal fire outlook Thursday afternoon with Kathryn Conroy, BC’s forest minister. MacDonald said a cooler June — which brought deep and steady rain to most of B.C. – contributed to a quiet start to this year’s fire season across much of the province, but fuels can still dry out and become flammable even after a week of warmer weather. From April 1 to July 4, there were 217 fires – about half the number of fires usually recorded at this time of year – and the fires were also smaller than normal. “The chance of big, big, deep fires is relatively low right now. But again, we can’t rule out seeing increased fire activity as we get into the middle, the heart of summer,” MacDonald said. “With the forecast I presented today, there’s a good chance we’ll get into that warm weather. So inevitably, we will probably see an increase in fire activity.” MacDonald said a return to warm and dry conditions is expected in the coming weeks. “As we move into the second half of July, not only will we see those summer temperatures materialize, but they’ll likely be warmer than normal, probably by a degree or two, which over a 30-day period is certainly noticeable,” MacDonald said. . MacDonald said forecasts call for drier than normal conditions through the second half of July to early August, but noted that rainfall amounts are difficult to predict. He said much of the rainfall seen in the summer months comes from small-scale storms that are “impossible” to predict beyond a two- or three-day period. “We will have to see how this situation develops. But we’re pretty sure we’re going to be in warmer conditions here as we get into the heart of summer,” MacDonald said. He said this pattern is likely to continue into August, with a predicted return to near-seasonal temperatures in late August and September. MacDonald said BCWS’ focus is currently on the northwest corner of the province, which hasn’t been hit by as much rain as the rest of B.C. and sees “a fairly active start to the fire season.” He said BCWS expects initial success of the offensive for fire response teams in the southern two-thirds of the province. For the northern areas, he said it would depend on the upcoming thunderstorms in the coming days. “There’s a growing chance as we get into early next week that we finally get some rain in that northwest corner,” MacDonald said. Conroy said the slow start to the fire season allowed BCWS to send 113 personnel to support firefighting efforts in the Yukon. “Last year, during one of our worst and most difficult fire seasons, we gratefully received support from 917 out-of-province personnel, including resources from the Yukon. So supporting each other in times of need is really important and something that BC is proud to be able to do,” said Conroy. On Thursday, Conroy announced the government will allocate an additional $25 million for community projects to help reduce fire risk, available through the Forest Enhancement Society of BC – an agency that helps communities reduce fire risk and emissions greenhouse gases. “Communities deserve all our support, especially as the threat of wildfires appears to be increasing with the ongoing effects of climate change,” Conroy said, adding that she hopes for a better fire season this summer. “As every British Columbian knows, we regularly face some of the most difficult welfare conditions we have ever seen in this province. And that’s why funding to FESBC is just one part of our recent budget to protect British Columbians from wildfires.” ORIGINAL: 12:13 p.m BC Forestry Minister Katrine Conroy and Matt MacDonald, lead forecaster with the BC Wildfire Service, provide the seasonal outlook for July wildfires and a seasonal fire preparedness update Thursday afternoon.
