Most B.C. wildfires under control, B.C. residents are ‘being careful’

VANCOUVER (NEWS 1130) — No new wildfires started on the South Coast over the weekend, according to the BC Wildfire Service, despite the return of sunnier weather.

Of the five current fires in the Coastal Fire Centre, none of them started this weekend.

“We’re very grateful that we haven’t had any fire starts, and a lot of that is due to what people are doing — I think they are getting the message to be careful,” said Donna MacPherson, with the Coastal Fire Centre said.

“We don’t have an increase in human-caused fires right now. We are below our 10-year average, which is great. But like I said, we rely on the public to be careful.”

While the fire danger rating is relatively stable, there are still a few areas of concern.

READ ALSO:

• Lightning storms spark dozens of fires around B.C. over the long weekend

• Wildfires at historical low in B.C.

“Right now in the Lower Mainland, it’s in low, with some areas of moderate and a couple of spots of high,” she said.

The high rating is near Manning Park.

There was cause for concern Saturday in the Fraser Canyon after a small grass fire in Lillooet threatened to get out of control.

Crews were able to keep the fire at less than a hectare in size, with only minor damage to a couple of properties.

According to the wildfire service, B.C. has had 32 fires in the province in the past 32 days, including 26 in the last two, with half of those started by lightning.

The Southeast sector currently has the most fires with 11, while the Kamloops area has nine and Coastal — which includes the South Coast and Vancouver Island — has five.

More than 65 per cent of current fires in B.C. are under control. Another 23 per cent are “being held.”