Officials already preparing for potentially active 2024 wildfire season in B.C.
The new Emergency and Disaster Management Act focuses on the four phases of emergency management: mitigation, preparation, response, and recovery.
According to forecasters from the BC Wildfire Service, the 2023 wildfire season in British Columbia, which ultimately became the most severe in the province's history, was preceded by the onset of adverse weather conditions in the fall of 2022. The unexpected warmth and dryness during what is typically the wettest period for the province initiated this troubling trend.
Despite the conclusion of the 2023 wildfire season, attention is already shifting towards the coming winter and spring, with hopes that sufficient snow and rainfall will relieve the drought conditions and rejuvenate the forest floors for the approaching summer of 2024. The Weather Network meteorologists say this optimistic outlook might not hold true, as indications suggest another severe wildfire season looms ahead due to an El Niño pattern keeping the bulk of moisture south of the border.
"Typically, with El Niño, the dominant storm track tends to stay south of the border in California," said meteorologist Dr. Doug Gillham in The Weather Network's official 2023-24 Winter Forecast released on Nov. 29. "Therefore, we expect that most of the province will see below-normal precipitation, below-normal snowfall, and more sunshine than we typically see during the winter."
In the video above, The Weather Network's Mia Gordon details how new legislation will help the province prepare for what could be yet another active wildfire season next year.
With files from Mia Gordon
Header image courtesy of BC Wildfire Service/X
