Residents warned of rising wildfire risk as temperatures soar in B.C. Interior

As heat warnings are issued across south and southeastern B.C., the provincial wildfire service is warning residents that scorching temperatures can increase the risk of scorched earth.

Temperatures could rise as high as 36 C in the southern Interior this week, drying out forests and creating ideal wildfire conditions.

According toErika Berg, spokesperson for theB.C. Wildfire Service in Kamloops, there is a heightened risk of fire fromLillooetstretching east to Falkland, just west of the Okanagan Valley.

Berg said as of July 29, a ban on category two and three fires will be in effect across the Kamloops Fire Centre region. This means no fires larger than two metres high by three metres wide will be permitted. Campfires, which are classified as 0.5 metres by 0.5 metres, will still be allowed.

Similar restrictions were put in place in the Southeast Fire Centre last Friday.

While the risk is currently high for the Kamloops region, wildfire damage so far this year has been minimal compared to the catastrophic seasonsof 2017 and 2018.

"It's well below the 10-year average," said Berg in an interview on CBC'sDaybreak Kamloopson Monday.

She said 720 hectares have burned so far this year across B.C., only six per cent of what had burned by this time last year.

But this does not mean B.C. is out of the woods yet.

According to CBC meteorologistJohanna Wagstaffe, by Friday this week there will be a chanceof thunderstorms in the Interior, which she said also increases the risk of wildfires.

"Not great news after such a hot anddry week," said Wagstaffe.

Berg is warning people to be extremely cautious if they do have a campfire right now. She says to be aware of the wind to ensure sparks are not blowing dangerously, and to build a fuel-free barrier around the campfire with ample water close tohand.

Anyone using an all-terrain vehiclein the backcountry should use spark arrestorsto reduce fire risk, she added.

The province says there hasbeen 239 wildfires this year. There are currently 11 active fires and six of them are in the Kamloopsregion.

To learn more about wildfire safety and to find out what the conditions are in your area, visit BCWildfire.ca.