According to Hannah Swift, information officer at BC Wildfire, the amount of smoke in the area was enough to provide some protection from the sun’s heat, which could have affected teams’ operations on the ground.
“It helps because the fire behavior isn’t as active when there’s no direct heat from the sun. »
– A quote from Hannah Swift, Speaker, BC Wildfire
It was a happy medium, she adds, because the smoke also cleared enough for BC Wildfire to launch helicopters to help ground crews.
According to Environment Canada on Friday morning, smoke levels were widespread in northeastern and central British Columbia and also spreading to the southern regions of the province.
Photo: Radio Canada / Benoit Ferradini
diffuse smoke
For its part, Environment Canada warns that smoke from wildfires can be harmful to health and recommends stopping or reducing outdoor physical activity.
Smoke could be seen widely across northeast and central British Columbia as of Friday morning, according to the federal agency. It spanned the province’s southern regions, including Whistler, Howe Sound and the Sunshine Coast.
Environment Canada forecast the smoke will gradually clear Friday due to changing weather conditions.
Firefighters try to control a 21-acre blaze in Kootenay National Park.
Photo: Parks Canada
A fire erupted in Kootenay National Park
Still, a fire that has so far devastated more than 21 hectares in British Columbia’s South Kootenay National Park, near the Alberta border, is spiraling out of control, Parks Canada said on Friday.
It appears to have been triggered by lightning on Wednesday evening.
Twenty specialists, supported by helicopters and construction machinery, are on site. According to Parks Canada, the fire poses no immediate threat to public safety or infrastructure.
Residents can go home
In addition, evacuation orders were lifted Thursday night due to the wildfires affecting 850 properties in northeastern British Columbia. Residents in nine communities can therefore return home, but must be ready to leave the home at any time.
The target communities are Rose Prairie, Montney, Coffee Creek, Prespatou, Altona, Peejay, Osborn, mile 62½ and east of Highway 97 from Wonowon to mile 120, the Peace River Regional District said.
The communities of Buick Creek, Mile 70 and West Murdale remain under evacuation orders due to the Red Creek and Stoddart Creek fires.
Campfires are prohibited in the north-east of the province
As of Friday, bonfires will no longer be permitted on the grounds of the Prince George Fire Center, which covers much of northeastern British Columbia.
In addition, as of Thursday noon, lighting Category 2 and Category 3 fires has been banned throughout British Columbia. This ban applies to large outdoor fires, including burning straw or grass.
These measures are aimed at preventing man-made fires, as almost two-thirds of the wildfires in the province so far this year are believed to have been man-made, according to BC Wildfire.
Exceptional Conditions
According to BC Wildfire, the wildfires burned more than 1,350 square kilometers of land in the province, far exceeding the 10-year average of about 120 square kilometers over the same period.
Exceptional conditions, usually found in summer, have caused forest fuels to run dry in the province, the Forest Fire Service explains, leaving some areas highly vulnerable to new fires starting and the rapid spread of these infernos.
Cooler, wetter weather is said to be forecast from Sunday, but forecast thunderstorms in central and southern inland British Columbia could bring lightning, which in turn could trigger new braziers.
As of Friday morning, 69 wildfires were active in British Columbia, 18 of which were not under control.
With information from The Canadian Press