B.C. officials warn of abnormal fall as warm, dry conditions keep wildfire risk high

Looking ahead into the fall, B.C. officials are warning of an abnormal season to come as warm, dry conditions are expected to continue.

Looking ahead into the fall, B.C. officials are warning of an abnormal season to come as warm, dry conditions are expected to continue.

The province-wide state of emergency put in place due to the wildfire situation is set to expire at midnight on Sept. 15 unless officials decide to extend it, which they will deliberate over the next 24 hours, said Bowinn Ma, B.C.'s minister of emergency management and climate readiness, at a news conference Wednesday.

“We are nearing the end of the fire season, but we are not yet in the clear,” Ma reiterated.

She noted that hundreds of wildfires continue to burn across the province, with a particularly concerning situation in the north, where above-seasonal temperatures and winds are expected to pose a challenge to the wildfire fight this week.

Ma said there are currently 1,200 British Columbians still on evacuation order, with another 34,000 on evacuation alert.

There are 393 active wildfires in the province, and 12 of them are “of note,” meaning they are highly visible or pose a threat to public safety, said Minister of Forests Bruce Ralston.

That’s more than double the number of fires that was burning this time last year, when there were 188 active blazes and five fires of note, he said.