A week of record-breaking temperatures, little-to-no-rain and more than 6,000 lightning strikes have resulted in a sudden increase in wildfires in B.C., Forests Minister Ravi Parmar says.
Parmar, in a provincial wildfire briefing Wednesday (Sept. 3), said wildfire growth remains a serious issue for much of the province "and the immediate weather forecast will continue to create challenging wildfire conditions."
As of Wednesday afternoon, there were 155 active wildfires burning across B.C., with 12 starts in the past 24 hours. Of the 155 wildfires, 58 are considered out of control, meaning growth is expected.
Lightning is expected to return to the coast later in the week and the heat is expected to continue through the weekend, with temperatures reaching 10 C above normal with no significant rain in the forecast, Parmar added.
BC Wildfire Service operations director Cliff Chapman said when the province is in this type of heat wave with underlying drought conditions, the fuel for wildfires becomes very receptive.
"Even though we saw a bit of rain in July and August, this summer we're seeing that our fuels are very receptive for this time of year. In particular, September is when we start to see the burning period shrink."
This year, Chapman said they're noticing the opposite of that. He added the current conditions are more similar to what B.C. would experience in August, but with the benefit of shorter days.
David Campbell, the head of B.C.'s River Forecast Centre, said there has been "a bit of a seesaw" in weather patterns. He said some of the relief in weather in mid-August did improve conditions, but the transition to hot and dry weather in the last couple weeks is resulting in a gradual buildup again for dry conditions.
Smoky skies and air quality
Smoke is also expected to be a major factor in wildfire response in the next 24 to 72 hours. Parmar said more smoke is expected in central and southern Interior by Wednesday evening or Thursday and reach coastal B.C. by Friday.
While smoke is coming from B.C. wildfires, the forests minister added the smoky skies are also coming from wildfires in both the Yukon and Northwest Territories.
Environment Canada already issued Wednesday due to the wildfire smoke.
Sarah Henderson, the scientific director of environmental health services at the B.C. Centre for Disease Control, said both heat and wildfires are stressors on the body.
"Simply put, heat makes wildfire smoke makes heat worse, so when those two things happen together, we see a bigger impact that when either of them is happening alone."
Henderson said that with the smoke, there is gasses and fine particles interacting with the lungs and causing irritation and inflammation that can affect the lungs and the entire body.
"Most people will only have mild symptoms from wildfire smoke, maybe a sore throat, stinging eyes, a bit of a headache," Henderson said, adding the symptoms will generally go away when the smoke does.
But she added some people may develop more severe symptoms, such as difficulty breathing or a tight chest.
"Smoke also has longer lasting health impacts. So even after the smoke goes away, it leaves a thumbprint or fingerprint on our bodies that can stay with us for years."
Henderson said to take it easy when outdoors, opting for a walk instead of a hard run. She added wearing a well-fitted N95 mask or similar respirator would help, along with drinking plenty of water.
More to come.
