Published 13 hours ago • loading... • Updated 15 hours ago

Wet and mild winter is ‘good news’ for B.C. wildfire season, says forecaster

On Thursday, Forests Minister Ravi Parmar briefed the public on 2026 wildfire preparedness, stating a wet, mild winter is "really good news" for the upcoming season despite ongoing regional variability.
Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Randene Neill reported the provincial snowpack reached 92 per cent of normal as of April 1, a "significant jump" from 79 per cent last year.
The B.C. Wildfire Service is staffed by 600 permanent employees and 2,400 seasonal applicants, Forests Minister Ravi Parmar confirmed, while crews have completed a record number of prescribed fires for prevention.
River Forecast Centre head David Campbell warned that while some regions face flood threats, Vancouver Island and the Okanagan face drought hazards due to low snowpack and early melt signs.
The B.C. Wildfire Service forecasts elevated risk for the northeast, Chilcotin, and South Thompson regions, as experts warn rapid climate changes mean no summer can be assumed to follow normal patterns.

Insights by Ground AI

21 Articles

B.C. Wildfire Service warns of elevated fire risk after warm winter, severity depends on spring rainfall

The B.C. Wildfire Service is forecasting an elevated risk for extreme or difficult-to-control wildfires in some parts of the province this year, including in the northeast, Chilcotin and South Thompson regions.

18 hours ago·Canada

Read Full Article