June rain brings some calm to B.C. wildfire outlook

A reasonably damp June has brought a bit of relief for the people who fight B.C.'s wildfires, but they're warning against complacency as the province enters the hot, dry months of summer.

Most parts of the province recorded average or above-average rainfall levels last month, according to fire information officer Kyla Fraser. That's a big improvement over last year, when a parched June helped set off the worst wildfire season in the province's history.

"We're certainly in a much better position than we were last June, which was exceptionally dry," Fraser told CBC.

"The level of rain we've had is certainly helpful to our July and August outlook; however, Environment Canada is still calling for a warmer and drier summer than average."

So far this year, about 47,000 hectares of B.C. has burned in about 577 wildfires, well above the 10-year average of about 33,000 hectares for this time of year. That's largely because of a busy start to the fire season in May, Fraser said.

But the areas hit hard by last year's wildfires were much wetter this June, a month that's often a good indicator for how active the fire season will be.

Kamloops, for example, had 36.8 millimetres of rain in June more than 10 times the amount it saw last year. Williams Lake measured a whopping 61.8 millimetres, up from just nine in 2017.

All that means a wildfire forecast that's looking much calmer than it was just a few weeks ago.

The latest seasonal forecasts from the Canadian Wildland Fire Information System predict average conditions for wildfire throughout the province in July, a big improvement from the federal body's projections at the beginning of June.

Of course, for southern B.C. in the summer, average conditions can still mean hot, dry weather that leaves the landscaperipe for wildfire.

"We just want to remind people that despite the recent rain, not to get too complacent. We still have a lot of summer left, with July and August typically being our busiest months," Fraser said.

"If you're out in the backcountry or enjoying a campfire, always be responsible and exercise caution when burning."