Regionality set to define B.C. wildfire season as drought, fire risk spread unevenly [Video]

British Columbia’s summer wildfire season is shaping up to be highly regionalized, emergency officials said Monday.

In a briefing outlining the province’s current drought and fire conditions, officials with the BC Wildfire Service and B.C. River Forecast Centre outlined that drought conditions had eased over recent years in many parts of B.C.

But while those regions saw “near-normal” levels of spring rain, the province’s southwest Interior, Chilcotin, far northwest and northeast continue to grapple with multi-year drought and elevated fire risks.

“Those regions may experience fire seasons comparable to the last two years,” B.C. Wildfire Service Supt. of Predictive Services Neil McLoughlin said.

“For members of the public and people that work in the northeast corner of the province, 2025 will likely feel like a fire season from 2023 or 2024, it is going to be a very busy year again — but for other regions of the province, it will be …