As per usual, B.C. is on fire this summer. Wildfires are burning across the province, bringing about a whole lot of smoke, ash, and evacuation alerts for communities.
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As BC Wildfire Service continues to fight these wildfires, here’s a look at some of the current blazes that are currently raging in the province.
B.C. Wildfires This Summer
On average, B.C. experience 1,600 wildfires per year. This summer has seen plenty of them already, including areas like Boston Bar, Anarchist Mountain in the district of Okanagan-Similkameen, and Lussier River in East Kootenay. The Brunswick Complex in the Boston Bar area is still burning, which is comprised of the Ainslie Creek, Brunswick Creek, and the Anderson Creek fire.
The Pear Lake fire is another wildfire of note, with two evacuation alerts and five evacuation orders issued for the area. Due to hot and dry conditions returning throughout the week, BC Wildfire Service anticipates increased growth on extreme fire behavior and column development.
Wildfire Smoke in Metro Vancouver
While the skies remain clear in Metro Vancouver, there has been sightings wildfire smoke from the city. It’s still possible for the smoke to make its way over here, so there’s some things you should remember if it suddenly becomes hazy one day this summer.
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The federal government recommends a number of measures you can take to protect yourself from wildfire smoke, including:
- reduce or reschedule strenuous activities outdoors
- pay attention to air quality information
- keeping windows and doors closed as much as possible. When there’s an extreme heat event occurring with poor air quality, prioritize keeping cool.
- limiting the use of exhaust fans, such as bathroom fans
- using the highest quality air filter that your ventilation system can handle based on the manufacturer’s recommendations
This is only a short list of measures, with many more listed by the federal government. For more information on protecting yourself from wildfire smoke, you can visit the page here.
