Forest fires well below average this year

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VANCOUVER (NEWS1130) – Spring was a bust, summer is off to a slow start, but if you look hard enough you can find a silver lining to all this inconsistent weather.  The number of forest fires so far this year is way down compared to last year, and well below the 10-year average as well.

There haven’t even been 200 fires reported so far this year across BC.  “At this time last year we had reported to 340 fires,” says Fire Information Officer Allison Couch.

She adds the 10-year average at this point in the fire season is 572 fires.  “The lesser fires that we have the more money we’re saving.  And it’s good news for the Ministry [of Forests] especially considering we were able to send our crews out of province and that’s cost-recovery for us as well.”

Other dry provinces, like Alberta, have been picking up the tab when borrowing BC firefighters.

The fire danger rating for most of our province is still in the “low” range.

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