Pelican Lake, BC forest Fire. July 28, 2010 - The active Pelican Complex consists of two main fires as well as a few inherited smaller fires. The combined size of these fires will cover approximately 10,000 to 15,00 hectares.
What had been an unusually quiet B.C. wildfire season is on the verge of heating up.
"With the hot, dry weather we've been seeing this past week, the province's fire danger rating is moderate to high across most of the province," said Fionna Tollovsen, spokeswoman for the B.C. Forest Service.
Ms. Tollovsen said some areas of the province – the northwest, southeast, Kamloops, and southern Vancouver Island – are especially dry and have been given a fire danger rating of extreme.
Wildfires have sparked consistent headlines in B.C. in recent years. In 2009, the province spent a record $382-million battling 3,066 fires. Last year, B.C. spent $212-million on 1,673 fires.
But unseasonably cool, wet weather has meant only 325 wildfires so far this season. About $39-million has been spent, though approximately $19-million of that has been on crews who are serving outside B.C. That money will later be recovered from the jurisdictions, like Ontario, in which the B.C. firefighters are working.
The B.C. government, which has gone well over budget on wildfire costs in recent years, set aside $63-million to fight the flames in 2011.
Ms. Tollovsen said the number of fire starts is the lowest B.C. has seen in a decade. None of the 325 fires are listed as notable.
If the B.C. wildfire situation deteriorates, she said, crews in other jurisdictions can quickly be recalled. In the past three weeks, B.C. has sent 759 fire personnel to hard-hit Ontario.
Ms. Tollovsen said that because of the dry conditions across B.C., lightning has become a growing concern.
"With the forest fuels drying out, we definitely have a concern of more lightning-caused fires."
She said 228 of the fires have been caused by individuals.
Jim Bell, deputy chief for Kamloops fire rescue, said some of the grasslands in the area have gone from green to brown. He said crews are ready when they're called up.
"It's a waiting game, basically," he said. "We're always faced with interface fires here. We have the equipment, we have the training, and as we go into summer we make sure we're prepared for it."
Mr. Bell, who's been with the department for 31 years, said "it's been a very long time" since firefighters in the area had such a quiet summer.
The B.C. Forest Service's northwest centre issued a statement Monday urging the public to be extra cautious with any burning due to the hot and dry conditions.
"Burning should be done away from branches, wood and other combustible materials," spokeswoman Lindsay Carnes wrote. "Have plenty of water and a shovel nearby. Never burn in windy conditions, as sparks could be easily carried to start new fires."
The quiet fire season has been in stark contrast to a busy flood season, especially in the province's northeast.
"We had some fairly significant snow loads that were way above normal and the delay in that melt and runoff was a little unusual. So when the snow pack did melt, it did cause higher than normal water flows in a number of areas, particularly in the northeast," said Chris Duffy of Emergency Management B.C.
Mr. Duffy said the worst of the flooding is likely over. He said the exact cost of the floods might not be known for some time.
"As of July 26, through our Emergency Program Act, the flooding cost to that date was about $2-million. But that did not include about $4-million within the disaster financial assistance applications that are currently being reviewed. And, as well, there will be significant ministry costs and those haven't been tabulated yet."
Mr. Duffy said that while the wet start to the summer cost the province some money battling floods, it likely saved B.C. some cash in the long run because it held off the wildfire season.
"The caveat being we're not done with fire season yet, Mother Nature being what she is."