Heavy snow, rain could impact upcoming fire season

Apr 18, 2017 | 7:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — It’s just starting to feel like spring, but the wildfire season is just around the corner with temperatures slowly rising.

Last summer was the quietest in years, and while predictions for this year aren’t quite in, the heavy snowpack in the region could have an impact on the type of season we have.

An increase in preciptation this year — both rain and snow — has made for green hills around Kamloops. But it’s not at all indicative of the fire season ahead.

“It’s basically too early to know,” said Kamloops Fire Information Officer Max Birkner. “Really the final thing we look at, in terms of being able to predict the fire season, is what type of rain we receive in the late spring, early summer. They’re called the ‘June rains,’ and that’s typically the time we can begin to look into the future and say this might be what the fire season looks like.”

According to Environment Canada, there has been close to 20 mm of precipitation in April so far — compared to 6.7 mm last April — and above the average of 14 mm this month.

Overall, the last few months have seen more precip than usual. 

“If we go back to even February, we saw the 10th wettest February on record,” noted Alyssa Charbonneau from Environment Canada. “34.3 millimeters of precipitation fell. March continued that with the seventh wettest March on record with 21.1 millimeters of precipitation. The normal is 12.8, and April so far is on trend.”

More precipitation has historically meant a slower fire season — with moist fuels keeping the flames at bay. But with warming temperatures, the focus is on warning people who are conducting open-burning. 

“Right now the fire-danger rating in the Kamloops Fire Centre is at low,” said Birkner. “But fuels dry out very quickly. If we get a few days of sunny weather, those fuels will dry out quickly, which is why we’re asking people who are conducting open-burning to use the precautions they would if they’re doing that type of activity.”

Open-burning in the Kamloops Fire Centre is allowed until May 15. 

Meantime, while Environment Canada forecasts warmer than usual temperatures this summer, it still predicts more precipitation come June and July.