Threat of lightning could change Northern B.C. fire season

“At this time, more than 230 properties are under evacuation order and nearly 300 properties are under evacuation alert in the area of Boston Bar and surrounding communities. Approximately 280 people are being supported with emergency support services,” Greene said.

Greene acknowledged the uncertainty facing evacuees and thanked residents for following evacuation orders issued by local governments and First Nations.

The Boston Bar fires remain among the most significant active incidents in B.C., accounting for seven of the province’s eight evacuation orders currently in place.

While attention remains focused on the Fraser Canyon, wildfire officials say Prince George and Northern B.C. have experienced a much quieter start to the season than many expected.

B.C. Wildfire Service Director of Provincial Operations Cliff Chapman pointed to several factors behind the slower fire season in the north.

“The big factor was that we didn’t see the holdover fires that we’ve seen in the past couple seasons from the Prince George Fire Centre,” Chapman said. “We also saw quite a bit more moisture intermittently. It clearly isn’t enough moisture to impact the drought, but it is enough moisture to not allow fires to make those rapid growth days like we’ve seen.”

In recent years, overwintering fires in Northern B.C. have reignited in the spring, stretching resources before the traditional summer fire season even began. Chapman said the absence of those holdover fires and periodic moisture helped prevent major fire growth through the first half of the season.

However, officials emphasized that favourable conditions could quickly disappear.

Chapman warned that the province is entering a period of elevated risk as thunderstorms develop across much of British Columbia during the next 48 hours.

“Our wildfires are usually about 60 per cent started by lightning,” Chapman said. “In the next 48 hours, we are going to see a high potential for lightning across the province.”

The greatest concern lies across the southern two-thirds of B.C., where dry fuels combined with lightning and increasing winds could create ideal conditions for new wildfire starts.

Officials say some areas are expected to experience dry lightning, where thunderstorms produce lightning but little or no rainfall. Those events can quickly ignite vegetation and lead to rapid fire growth.

Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said the province has managed to keep wildfire activity relatively low compared with recent seasons, but conditions are changing.

As of the latest update, there were 23 active wildfires burning across British Columbia. Five new fires had been discovered in the previous 24 hours while eight others had been declared out.

Parmar noted that approximately 25,000 hectares have burned this season from more than 440 fires. By comparison, more than 700,000 hectares had burned by the same point in 2025, while the record-breaking 2023 season had already exceeded 1.2 million hectares burned.

Despite the lower numbers, Parmar stressed that residents should not assume the threat has passed.

“We are heading into a period of dry weather, wind and storms with high potential for new fire ignitions across the province, including starting later this week,” Parmar said. “Although we have done lots of work on the front end and we are having a more manageable season to date, we must be prepared for new ignitions.”

He credited prevention efforts, fuel management projects and public reporting for helping reduce impacts so far this year. The province says 94 per cent of reported wildfires have been extinguished, with most being contained before growing beyond five hectares.

At the same time as wildfire concerns increase, the province is also managing worsening drought conditions in several regions.

Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship Randene Neill said hot weather, declining stream flows and water scarcity remain major concerns heading into the heart of summer.

“The most important message today really is quite simple: what you do matters,” Neill said. “Water conservation is a shared responsibility with all of us. Small actions taken by a lot of people can make a real, meaningful difference.”

Neill said voluntary conservation measures now could help protect water supplies, fisheries and aquatic ecosystems later in the summer.

For residents in Prince George and across Northern B.C., the message from provincial officials is straightforward. While this year has been less severe than recent wildfire seasons, conditions remain highly volatile.

With lightning expected across the province during the coming days and fuels remaining extremely dry in many areas, wildfire officials say preparedness is critical. Residents are being encouraged to stay informed, monitor local conditions, keep emergency plans up to date and be ready to act if the wildfire situation changes.

For now, Northern B.C. has avoided the severe fire activity experienced elsewhere in the province. But with lightning on the horizon and wildfire season entering its peak period, officials say vigilance will be essential in the days and weeks ahead.

by Nick Dube

Threat of lightning could change Northern B.C. fire season

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