What a difference a year or two makes when it comes to wildfires.
Erin Bull, a Fire Information Officer at the Cariboo Fire Centre, says we have had just 42 fires so far this year burning around 189 hectares.
That compares to 74 fires and 381 hectares at this time last year and Bull says the difference is even more dramatic when compared to 2017…
“In 2017 on July 7th we did have a lightning storm come through the area which ignited close to a hundred fires, so at this time in 2017 there was 172 fires burning with just about 29,000 hectares burned already.”
Getting back to this year, Bull says the fire danger rating is pretty low right now…
“We have received a fair amount of precipitation so far this year so our buildup index rating is pretty low right now. And what that is is an estimate of the total amount of fuel that’s available for combustion on the landscape.”
That said, Bull says things can change quickly.
She is urging people to be vigilant, especially when burning or having campfires.