The Northwest Fire Centre has drastically downgraded the wildfire threats to Kitimat over the weekend from high to low.
Of the two active wildfires in the area, one is listed as “under control” and the other is listed as “being held.”
Morgan Blois, the information officer for the Northwest Fire Centre, said that neither fire are expected to change under the current conditions.
“At this time, the data shows that while fires may still start easily there will be minimal involvement of deeper fuel layers or larger fuels.
“So, the risk for large and intense fire spread is low currently.”
Blois cautioned that fire conditions change frequently and quickly— especially in the summer.
B.C. Wildfire Service measures temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, wind speed and wind direction to determine the fire danger for a specific area on a daily basis.
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With Kitimat’s low risk, fires can start easily there but there will not be a lot of fuel to sustain the flame. The weekend’s high rating indicated very dry forest fuels with an increased risk of surface ignition. Such fires start easily, burn vigorously, and challenge fire suppression efforts.
For more information on specific areas, check the B.C. Wildfire Service website.
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/safety/wildfire-status/prepare/weather-fire-danger/fire-danger