Tracking wildfires in British Columbia
CBC News | Posted: July 22, 2024 7:11 PM | Last Updated: July 22
Where they are, how much has burned and how it's changing air quality
Still recovering from the historic wildfire of 2023, B.C. is bracing for another challenging summer.
B.C.'s wildfire season in 2023 is widely regarded as the worst on record, with tens of thousands of people evacuated from their homes. In all, about 400 structures were destroyed and more than 28,400 square kilometres of land burned, causing an estimated $720 million in damage.
It was also deadly: Two front-line wildfire fighters were killed on the job and four others contracted to the B.C. Wildfire Service were killed in a collision while driving home from supporting firefighting efforts. Additionally, a nine-year-old boy died of an asthma attack made worse by wildfire smoke.
Here is an up-to-date look at the wildfire situation in B.C. today.
Discovered on July 12, the rapid growth of the Shetland Creek wildfire put hundreds of people under evacuation orders and alerts, including the communities of Ashcroft and Spences Bridge.
The Antler Creek fire was discovered July 20, with lightning as its probable cause. On July 22, its growth prompted evacuation orders for the historic site of Barkerville, a former Cariboo gold rush town, as well as the artistic enclave of Wells and Bowron Lake Provincial Park.
In the Kootenays, the Aylwin Creek and Komonko Creek wildfires are responsible for multiple evacuation orders and alerts.