Forecasting the Summer Fire Season

Although many locations in BC have above average snowpacks as of April, the southern part of Vancouver Island was not so fortunate, and we are heading into wildfire season with only 45% of the normal winter snowpack. The BC Wildfire Service and Environment Canada are predicting a much drier and hotter wildfire season than last year. Expectations are high that this may be a very dangerous summer for fire starts.

The records are showing that there are fewer human-caused fires in BC than in the past but that the fires that do occur (human-caused or lightning) are larger, travel faster, and cause more losses than ever before. Fire behaviour has changed significantly, and wildland fire fighters have to contend with fires creating their own weather and wind and burning hotter.

There were two very significant fires on Vancouver Island last season, and this was extremely unusual. The Wildfire Service has boosted our local Cobble Hill Fire Base crews from three to four crews of four this year and one crew will always be available this season on stand-by rather than the Ministry sending every crew to the Interior when a big fire occurs.

As we head into the hotter and drier months, please keep in mind that the TIVFD posts the fire danger class and regulates campfires, yard waste burning, and high hazard activities on our forest intermix island for fire safety. Following the regulations is one of the few ways we all can lower the risk of a wildfire start on Thetis. Plan now to get your outside high hazard chores and jobs done before we go into HIGH and EXTREME hazard this summer.

Fire Chief J. Caldbeck
Thetis Island Vol. Fire Dept.