Since April 1, there have been 1,109 wildfires sweeping across B.C. which have burned through over a million hectares so far this year, blanketing western North America with smoke. Fighting them has cost the Province $384.3 million and the season is far from over.
Finance Minister Carole James says the worst wildfire season in British Columbia’s history is expected to put a dent in the provincial budget as firefighters battle the largest blaze on record.
“We’re tracking $389 million over the February budget estimate right now, and we’re only halfway through the season,” James said Tuesday as she released B.C.’s public accounts.
She said firefighting costs will be included in next month’s financial update before the province releases its full budget report in February.
Kevin Skrepnek with the BC Wildfire Service said a record-breaking 10,200 square kilometres of forest and grasslands have burned across the province since April and the number is expected to climb with more dry weather ahead.
“This is the highest area of land burned that we have ever had in the province’s history stretching back to 1912, which is the earliest we have got records on hand,” he said from Williams Lake.
Skrepnek said 134 fires were burning in B.C. last week and that calmer and cooler conditions in recent days have helped firefighting efforts.