Officials will give British Columbians an idea of what to expect this wildfire season and an update on how the province has prepared Thursday.
Representatives from the B.C. Wildfire Service and River Forecast Centre will join the forestry and emergency management ministers at a news conference to outline
The update comes as Environment and Climate Change Canada expects B.C. to have one of the hottest years on record and a low snowpack raises drought concerns.
Last year’s wildfire season was “less destructive” in B.C. than in previous years but still saw more than 880,000 hectares scorched, according to a summary from the province.
There were 42 evacuation orders, and 91 alerts affecting nearly 10,000 properties.
“Despite seeing fewer hectares burned in B.C. in 2025 than in 2024 or 2023 and less need for out-of-province resource support, it’s important to consider the bigger picture and longer-term trends,” the province’s summary of the 2025 season said, adding “climate change is accelerating the scale of wildfire impacts on the land base.”
The cost of fighting wildfires last year was $510 million, according to the province.