Thursday July 20, 2023 | VICTORIA, BC [Updated July 22, 2023]
by Mary P Brooke | Island Social Trends
NOTE: BC will welcome wildfire firefighters from Brazil, on Sunday July 23 (article to come)
Another BC Wildfire Service update was held today July 20.
Dry weather conditions — indeed drought, continues for all of Vancouver Island, particularly the south.
There has been an early onset of high drought levels compared to the last couple of drought years.
All of Vancouver Island is at the highest level of drought, i.e. Level 5. People and businesses have in recent weeks already been asked to conserve water.
An increase in warm weather is expected for the remainder of the summer, said Dave Campbell who heads up the River Forecast Centre.
“To put an end to the fire season we need significantly more rain,” said Cliff Chapman, director of provincial operations for the BC Wildfire Service. “We have a long way to go in this fire season,” he said in this week’s regular update.
About 80% of fires are lightning caused:
Presently about 80% of wildfires have been determined to be lightning-caused. The source of the other 20% is either human caused or yet to be determined.
BC Wildfire Service thanks people for not contributing to human-caused fires.
There are currently 379 active fires, of which 199 started in the last seven days; 133 are held or under control.
Lightning can result in ‘holdover fires’ which occur when lightning has happened with a bit of rain as well, but the fire remains dormant and emerges later.
Agricultural impacts:
There is potential impact on food supply production in BC due to the wildfires. But the Ministry of Agriculture and Food says it strongly supports BC producers and the availability of BC products at the grocery store.
Unirrigated dryland farming in BC is experiencing about 50% less production due to drought this summer, said Mark Raymond, executive director, Agriculture Resource Division, Ministry of Agriculture and Food.
Raymond said his team is working with agriculture providers to make sure they are not overwatering.
Everyone in BC has been asked to conserve water where they can during this 2023 summer drought.
Current wildfire resources:
BC Wildfire has “hundreds of contract resources” from within BC, working on fires. International resources will number as many as 500 as of tomorrow, when some Brazilian firefighters will join firefighters already here from Mexico, Australia and the United States. The USA firefighters are “significant support”, said Chapman.
In total there are now over 2,500 personnel on the ground today, said Chapman.
Bowinn Ma, Minister of Emergency Management and Climate Readiness, will officially welcome the wildfire firefighters from Brazil on Sunday July 23 in Abbotsford (12 noon Pacific Time).
Firefighting is dangerous work:
Firefighting is dangerous work, said Chapman. “It was devastating for us last week with the loss of Devyn Gale, we’re still reeling.” He says her family is dealing with “an unfathomable loss”.
The memorial service for Devyn Gale is this Saturday, July 22, and all British Columbians are asked to keep her in their thoughts. The BC flag at the Parliament Buildings in Victoria will fly at half-mast on July 22 in Gale’s honour.