The flames were visible from downtown Kelowna last night as residents packed emergency bags and checked evacuation routes. For Marla Donovan, a retired teacher who’s lived through three previous wildfire seasons, this summer feels different.
“We used to get a few weeks’ reprieve between fire events,” she told me during a community meeting at the Rutland Community Centre. “Now it’s just constant vigilance from June through September.”
Dozens of new wildfires have erupted across British Columbia this week following an intense lightning storm system that swept through the province’s Interior regions. The BC Wildfire Service reported 47 new ignitions in a 24-hour period, pushing the total number of active fires to 157 province-wide.
Provincial officials have issued evacuation orders for communities near Kamloops, Merritt, and the outskirts of Kelowna, affecting approximately 2,700 residents. Another 5,600 households remain under evacuation alert, with residents told to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.
“This is shaping up to be our most challenging fire season since 2021,” said Derek Hammond, operations chief with BC Wildfire Service. “The combination of record-breaking temperatures in June, below-average precipitation, and now this lightning activity has created perfect conditions for rapid fire growth.”
The largest blaze, dubbed the Trepanier Creek fire, has grown to approximately 8,500 hectares since it was first detected Tuesday afternoon. Fire crews have managed only 15% containment despite deploying eight water bombers and over 120 firefighters to the scene.
Climate researchers have noted concerning trends in the province’s fire patterns. Dr. Megan Kirchmeier at the University of British Columbia’s Climate Action Research Centre points to data showing BC has experienced a 92% increase in lightning-caused fires over the past decade compared to historical averages.
“What we’re witnessing isn’t just a bad year,” Kirchmeier explained. “It’s part of a systematic shift in our fire regime that tracks precisely with climate prediction models developed in the early 2000s.”
The financial toll continues to mount. The province has already spent $187 million on firefighting operations this season, approaching the record $262 million spent in 2021, according to Finance Ministry figures released yesterday.
For communities caught in evacuation zones, the human cost is immeasurable. The Kamloops Emergency Support Services centre reported over 600 registrations by Wednesday evening, with local hotels reaching capacity. The provincial government has opened temporary accommodations at Thompson Rivers University dormitories.
“We left with our important documents, some clothes, and our dog,” said Jeff Watkins, who evacuated from his home near Monte Lake. “Everything else – all the things you can’t replace – you just have to hope they’ll still be there when you return.”
This latest surge in wildfire activity comes as the province implements a controversial new Wildfire Adaptation Strategy. The $670 million, five-year program includes funding for community firebreaks, prescribed burning operations, and enhanced emergency response capabilities.
Critics including the BC Environmental Network have questioned whether the strategy sufficiently addresses root causes. “We’re spending hundreds of millions treating symptoms while continuing policies that worsen climate impacts,” said spokesperson Lena Williams in a statement released Tuesday.
Municipal leaders from affected regions have requested additional provincial support. A joint letter signed by 14 mayors and regional district chairs calls for expanded firefighting resources and faster deployment of military assistance during peak fire periods.
“Local governments simply don’t have the capacity to manage events of this magnitude,” said Vernon Mayor Caroline Wright. “We need structural changes to how emergency management operates in this new reality where extreme fire behavior is becoming normalized.”
For frontline responders, the challenge isn’t just about resources but also adapting tactics to increasingly unpredictable fire behavior. Battalion Chief Marco Fernandez described watching a relatively stable fire suddenly explode in size Tuesday afternoon.
“We’ve trained for decades on how fires typically behave in these forests,” Fernandez said. “But what we’re seeing now – the rate of spread, the intensity, the resistance to control methods – it’s forcing us to rewrite the playbook.”
Provincial officials have also noted concerning trends in public compliance with fire restrictions. Conservation officers issued 127 violation tickets for prohibited burning activities last weekend alone, despite a province-wide campfire ban.
For communities in the fire zone, preparations continue. Grocery stores in Kelowna reported temporary shortages of bottled water and non-perishable foods as residents stocked emergency supplies. Local radio stations have switched to around-the-clock emergency broadcasts, providing evacuation updates and air quality advisories.
The forecast offers little relief. Environment Canada meteorologist Patricia Ramirez predicts continued hot, dry conditions with the possibility of more lightning activity through the weekend.
“Unfortunately, the upper ridge of high pressure remains locked in place,” Ramirez said. “We’re not seeing any significant precipitation in the 10-day outlook for the Southern Interior.”
As night fell over Kelowna, the red glow of distant fires illuminated smoke clouds on the horizon – a sobering reminder that for many BC communities, wildfire season is no longer an occasional emergency but a persistent reality reshaping how people live, work and plan for the future.
