{"id":82651,"date":"2016-05-03T14:25:00","date_gmt":"2016-05-03T14:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/resourcework2.devstudio.work\/?p=82651"},"modified":"2024-11-15T08:10:30","modified_gmt":"2024-11-15T08:10:30","slug":"bc_forest_fires_lightning_no_humans","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/resourcework2.devstudio.work\/?p=82651","title":{"rendered":"BC forest fires. Lightning? No, humans."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

We knew that, on average, BC is hit with 2,000 wildfires a year, with half caused by people and half caused by lightning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the worst past year to date for human-caused fires, 2011, there were 653 fires in all. Of those, 444 (68%) were started by humans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year BC recorded 1,836 wildfires, covering 280,465 hectares, and the bill for firefighting was a record $277 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This 2016 season is off to an even earlier start than last year\u2014and a shocking one with 98.2% of the first 163 blazes started by people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As of today, we have 39 active fires in BC.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Let’s hail the dedicated crews (more than 1,100 people) from the BC Wildfire Management Branch who tackle forest fires.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Here are some highlights from BC\u2019s long history preserving the woods from fire damage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1985<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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