File photo (Image credit: CFJC Today).
Wildfire Watch

Kamloops Fire Centre benefits from 30 to 50 millimetres in rain amid weekend thunderstorms

Jun 23, 2025 | 10:42 AM

KAMLOOPS — The reward of weekend thunderstorms outweighed the risk for the Kamloops Fire Centre, at least in the short term.

According to the BC Wildfire Service, there were 869 lightning strikes recorded across the Kamloops Fire Centre between Friday (June 20) and Sunday (June 22). With that, the wildfire service says most areas in the region received 30 to 50 millimetres (mm) of rain.

According to data from Environment Canada’s stations, there was 19.4 mm of precipitation recorded at Kamloops Airport, 34.2 mm in Salmon Arm and 9.6 mm in Merritt.

“There were some regions with a little bit less rain, but there was rain with all of these storms,” Fire Information Officer, Mikhail Elsay, told CFJC Today. “The chance of anything turning into a big fire in the short term is very small.”

As of Monday (June 23) morning, the wildfire service’s online map shows four active wildfires in the Kamloops Fire Centre, but they’re all listed as under control. Elsay said there haven’t been new starts connected to this weekend’s lightning strikes, although there is the potential of holdover fires if things dry out in the coming weeks.

Elsay adds crews put out a small number of fire starts over the last week before they could grow. He credited the wildfire service’s successful initial attack as crews have weather conditions on their side.

However, he also reminded people to be smart with their fire use as it’s still early in the wildfire season with the end of the school year and Canada Day approaching.

“It doesn’t take much more than three-to-five days of good, warm weather to get us to a place where fuels are receptive to easy fire ignition again,” Elsay said. “While the rain might give us a reprieve in the short term, there’s still the potential with any warm and dry weather that we’ll be right back up to a high fire hazard and the conditions that leads to.”

As of noon Sunday (June 22), the fire danger rating across much of the Kamloops Fire Centre is considered to be low, though there are pockets of very low as well as moderate fire danger rating.

Image credit: BC Wildfire Service

At present, all fires larger than campfires remain prohibited within the Kamloops Fire Centre.