It’s been one of the driest months of March on record. And that’s cause for concern, say fire officials.
The island has only seen 15-20 millimetres of rain this month, significantly less than the more than 100 millimetres typically expected.
“Any incoming precipitation missed Vancouver Island and has either gone north or gone south,” says Matt MacDonald, a meteorologist for Environment Canada. “We’ve only seen about 10-20 per cent of rain this month.”
After a long, cold winter, the island has seen an abrupt start to spring, which isn’t helping reduce the risk of wildfires.
“It’s unusual for the coast to have snow right until spring,” says Donna MacPherson, a fire information officer with B.C.’s Coastal Fire Centre. “We usually have a more gradual switch over from damp weather to warm weather, which gives the grass an opportunity to grow.”
MacPherson says this year there’s more dead grass, which is indicative of how just how dry the soil is.
The lack of precipitation is also affecting water levels, which are noticeably lower this year. Although firefighters aren’t concerned with the water levels at this point in the season, they do say it’s telling of how dry the forest floors are.
Victoria is already seeing the effects of the dry weather. In mid-March, Victoria firefighters battled a brush fire that broke out on a bank at Beacon Hill Park.
“The vegetation on the bank is extremely dry,” Victoria fire Battalion Chief Doug Carey said. “It’s like a tinder block so the smallest fire will spread up the bank if the wind conditions are just right.”
Ahead of fire season, the Coastal Fire Centre is encouraging everyone to carefully consider what they plant in their garden. The centre released a list that outlines the most fire-safe options.
In 2018, there were over 2,000 fires across British Columbia, which displaced over 6,000 people from their homes, and cost the province $615 million.
