87 Wildfires From 2023 Continue to Burn in Northeast BC; Ongoing Drought Persists

According to the BC Wildfire Service, there are 87 wildfires actively burning in the Prince George region, an unusually high number, The Vancouver Sun reported (2-5-24).

In contrast, there is just one active wildfire in the province’s five other regions. Of the 2.84 million hectares that burned throughout BC in 2023, 80% were in the Prince George region. In 2022, there were 60,000 hectares burned in northeast BC with just 15 holdover fires.

Sharon Nickel, the Prince George Fire Center spokesperson, told The Vancouver Sun that the holdover fires were more likely to occur when a very large area had burned and when drought conditions were persistent and/or severe. The BC Drought Information Portal shows the Prince George region is at Drought Level 5, the most severe.

“A holdover fire, commonly used to describe those we see carry over to the new calendar year on the map, is a fire that remains dormant and/or undetected for a considerable time after it starts,” Nickel added. “As there are still areas that are under snow cover and areas where the fire has likely travelled underground, we cannot call additional fires ‘out’ or confirm where (or if) there are active hot spots.”

According to Nickel, the recent atmospheric rivers in the southwest and coastal regions, above-seasonal temperatures, and high winds in the north and northeast have impacted the existing snowpack. The most recent Snow Conditions and Water Supply Bulletin shows the province’s snowpack is extremely low, averaging 44% below normal.