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The number of daily new fires has subsided this week, Schweitzer said.
But higher temperatures are expected to contribute to “severe burning conditions” in B.C.’s southern half, he added. The forecast should bring more fresh air to the Interior, he said, fuelling a “short-lived increase in fire growth” but also aiding firefighting efforts by air, which have been hampered by smoky skies.
The service also anticipates some lighting this weekend, Schweitzer said, and crews are standing ready if new fires start.
Environment Canada issued heat warnings stretching across B.C.’s southern Interior, inland sections of the north and central coasts, as well as the south coast and parts of Vancouver Island. The wildfire service warns the combination of high temperatures and low relative humidity will make fires even more intense.
Brenna Owen
A tree candles as the Tremont Creek wildfire burns behind the IG Machine & Fibers roofing granule plant, where rock is crushed and coloured and then shipped elsewhere to create roofing shingles, in Ashcroft, B.C., on Friday, July 16, 2021. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck July 29, 2021 - 4:22 PM
Western Canada must urgently address the threats posed by highly destructive wildfires or face deadly and costly consequences, says a group of forest and environmental experts from British Columbia and the United States.
The experts, including Mathieu Bourbonnais, assistant professor of earth and environmental sciences at the University of B.C. Okanagan, predict devastating wildfires like those currently burning in B.C. will be commonplace by 2050.
Billions in losses, thousands could die if wildfire response unchanged: report - Kelowna News castanet.net - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from castanet.net Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
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The number of daily new fires has subsided this week, Schweitzer said.
But higher temperatures are expected to contribute to “severe burning conditions” in B.C.’s southern half, he added. The forecast should bring more fresh air to the Interior, he said, fuelling a “short-lived increase in fire growth” but also aiding firefighting efforts by air, which have been hampered by smoky skies.
The service also anticipates some lighting this weekend, Schweitzer said, and crews are standing ready if new fires start.
Environment Canada issued heat warnings stretching across B.C.’s southern Interior, inland sections of the north and central coasts, as well as the south coast and parts of Vancouver Island. The wildfire service warns the combination of high temperatures and low relative humidity will make fires even more intense.
SHARE ON: White Rock Lake Wildfire (Photo supplied by BC Wildfire Service)
The BC Wildfire Service gave an update on the fires raging across the province, as well as some of the other issues they’ve run into.
“Over this past weekend, there’s been several reports of individuals who are not heeding evacuation orders. And BC Wildfire Service operational efforts have been diverted, including helicopters and aircraft, to support individuals who have been trapped behind the fire line,” said Schweitzer.
He also mentioned that they have fought around 1,230 wildfires so far this year, where the 10-year average is about 642.