BC announces new drought portal, preparedness tools and open burning bans

During a seasonal update on the wildfire and drought situation in BC, the provincial government announced new tools available to help people prepare and stay informed during emergencies.

The new tools come as many parts of BC are set to experience their first heat wave of the season, with temperatures hitting the high 20s in the Interior and the low to mid 20s in the north.

“Being prepared and feeling ready starts with having a plan,” said Bowinn Ma, minister of emergency management and climate readiness, in a news release.

“We encourage everyone to make an emergency and evacuation plan, and the new tools launched today make planning easier and will help people stay safe.”

New emergency preparedness tools

The new and improved tools include an Emergency Ready Planner, which is meant to help create personalized emergency and evacuation plans.

According to the province, it takes about 30 minutes to complete a plan, which can be saved as a PDF and printed out to store in an emergency kit.

A news release from the province said the planner helps identify emergency meeting places; list important contacts, medical and insurance information; recommends supplies for emergency kits and grab-and-go bags; and includes FireSmart steps to protect homes from wildfire.

Major upgrades have also come to the BC Wildfire Service app.

The province said the updates include improved functionality, new interactive maps for wildfire perimeters, weather, smoke and road conditions and evacuation information. People can also customize notifications about wildfires near them.

There is also an ability to report to a wildfire on the app offline when not in cell service.

“During wildfire season, we want to make sure that British Columbians have access to fast, reliable information when they need it most,” said Bruce Ralston, minister of forests.

“Starting today, the newly improved app will be available on more devices and will include the most up-to-date wildfire information that will keep people safe and informed this summer.”

The province also launched a new and updated Drought Information Portal, which is now easier to navigate and provides information about drought levels, watershed conditions, streamflow forecasts, angling closures and more.

Nathan Cullen, Minister of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship, said in a news conference that the portal will be updated every Thursday.

Seasonal outlook, new open burning bans in effect

Last year, the province saw one of its worst drought with a majority of the province being classified as level five drought by August.

As a result, the province is already encouraging people to take water conservation measures.

“As of today, May 9, snowpack levels in British Columbia are at 66% of normal across the province,” Cullen said, adding that BC continues to receive less rain and snow.

“Most of BC has experienced a below normal snowpack this year. Depending on how the snowpack continues to melt, in addition to spring and summer precipitation, there is an increased potential for drought this summer.”

The province said another active wildfire season is expected due to the ongoing drought.

As of May 8, there were 108 active wildfires burning throughout the province, three of which were classified as out of control. Despite the dry conditions, the number of wildfire starts is below the 20-year average, the province said.

Regardless, the province urges all residents to be extra cautious, especially with the warm weather hitting the province this week and over the weekend.

“This time of year the majority of wildfires are human-caused so extra precautions are needed when recreating and working outdoors,” the province said in the news release.

After receiving less than half the normal amount of rain in April, underlying fuel conditions remain “extremely” dry in the southern and central Interior.

As a result Category 2 and 3 open burning prohibitions are now in effect for:

• Prince George Fire Centre (both categories of open burning have been banned here since Mar. 28)

• Cariboo Fire Centre

• Kamloops Fire Centre (a ban on category 3 open burning went into here on May 3)

• parts of the Northwest Fire Centre

For more tips to prepare for wildfire, drought, heat and more, the province encourages residents to visit PreparedBC.ca.