B.C. Wildfire Service offers preliminary tally of costs from disastrous summer

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — British Columbia has spent more than $500 million battling dozens of wildfires during the 2017 forest fire season.

Fire information officer Kevin Turcott says total suppression costs to date amount to almost $548 million.

He says that’s nearly nine times the original budget of $63 million and far above the $382 million spent in 2009, which officials say was the previous highest cost.

Hundreds of wildfires have been recorded in the province since April 1 as B.C. endured its worst-ever fire season.