BC wildfires: Lightning strikes exceed 10,000, more to come

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The provincial operations director for British Columbia Wildfire Management said the province has seen about 10,000 lightning strikes in the past seven days, primarily in the Kamloops Fire Centre and the Southeast Fire Centre.

Cliff Chapman said because of the hot and dry July in British Columbia, these lightning strikes have the potential to spark new fires and also provide fuel for them.

There are about 340 wildfires burning in the province, including eight noteworthy wildfires, which are highly visible or have the potential to pose a threat to public safety.

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Chapman said that while the weather forecast showed temperatures would drop back to more suitable levels in the coming week, it would not be enough to “reduce the danger or likelihood” of new fires.

Chapman said the province could see stronger winds and more thunder and lightning in the next 36 to 48 hours.

He said the province is seeing about 12 to 24 new fires a day, a trend he expects to continue in the coming days, particularly in the southeast and Kamloops fire centres.

“Relative to 2023, which many are calling the worst fire season ever in British Columbia, we’re still seeing significantly fewer fires than last year … and slightly above the 10-year average for total fires in British Columbia,” he said.

About 1,000 people have been ordered to evacuate and more than 2,500 are on evacuation alert due to wildfires burning in British Columbia, Emergency Management Minister Bowinn Ma said at a news conference Tuesday.

She also noted that British Columbia has about 1,600 firefighters, which Chapman explained includes contractors, structure firefighters, community firefighters and members of the British Columbia Wildfire Service.

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