Since April 1, 2023, 2,025 wildfires have burned about 1.91 million hectares of land in B.C. There are currently 422 active wildfires burning across the province.
Unseasonably hot and dry conditions persist in the northern regions of the province, which has contributed to an increase in fire behaviour for parts of the Northwest and Prince George Fire Centres. As a result of this increase in activity, the Northern Rockies Regional Municipality has issued an Evacuation Alert encompassing a large portion of the Fort Nelson Zone.
A Category 1 campfire ban came into effect today at noon for the Northwest Fire Centre and the VanJam, Mackenzie and Fort Nelson Zones in the Prince George Fire Centre, whereas the category 1 campfire ban in the Southeast Fire Centre will be rescinded as of noon tomorrow.
More than 3,500 personnel directly engaged in wildfire response efforts in B.C. This figure consists of BC Wildfire staff, contract personnel, and out-of-province personnel from Mexico, South Africa, Australia, Ontario and the Canadian Armed Forces.
There are currently 139 evacuation orders and alerts in place across the province, with 27,912 properties under alert and 5,022 under order. For the most up-to-date evacuation information, please connect directly with your local authority or visit EmergencyInfoBC.
Weather
Southern regions of the province have received varied amounts of precipitation over the past few days, most notably in the southeast. Temperatures in the south will rebound temporarily tomorrow, but will return to seasonal, entering a fall pattern for the foreseeable forecast.
Meanwhile, above seasonal hot and dry conditions persist in northern regions. A significant wind event for the north is anticipated to begin tonight and carry through the weekend, leading to significant rates of spread on existing wildfires in the north.