B.C. Wildfire expecting we can breathe easy for the rest of summer

So far, 2020 has spared us one unfortunate aspect of a B.C. summer we've all become too familiar with — fires and smoke.  

A slow start to the wildfire season in British Columbia combined with timely rain has put the fire season three weeks behind as of the second week of August, B.C. Wildfire reports.

The wildfire service has responded to 96 new starts since the beginning of August, mostly due to thunderstorms in the southern half of the province.

According to current fire weather and other indicators, the slow fire season is expected to continue, B.C. Wildfire says in a recent seasonal outlook update.

The wildfire service says rainfall and initial attack response has kept fire growth to a minimum, with only five fires growing to more than one hectare

As of Aug. 9, the wildfire service reports 26 active fires, 18 classified as under control, seven as being held, and one as out of control.

The service is also reporting 369 wildfires to Aug. 9, compared to 624 by the same time last year.

August is known for having more wildfires than July, but it looks like this year any further fire risk will be determined by the amount and duration of rain seen over the coming weeks.

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