British Columbia’s Forest Fires, 2018 /

Published by authority of the Minister responsible for Statistics Canada © Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada as represented by the Minister of Industry, 2019 All rights reserved. [...] British Columbia’s forest fires, 2018 British Columbia’s forest fires, 2018 by Jennie Wang and Katharine Strong Back‑to‑back record fire seasons in British Columbia have increased attention on the impacts of forest fires, especially given predictions that the frequency and severity of forest fires in Canada will increase (Natural Resources Canada, 2018). [...] Fires in British Columbia accounted for about 60% of the total burned area in Canada in 2018, compared to an average of 7% over the 1990 to 2018 period (National Forestry Database [NFD], 2019).1 The largest fires occurred in the Stikine Region, Kitimat‑Stikine Regional District, Bulkley‑Nechako Regional District and the Cariboo Regional District (Map 1). [...] Smoke from the fires in British Columbia, as well as fires from the United States, contributed to the poor air quality measured in many parts of the province throughout the summer (Map 2). [...] Children, the elderly and those with heart and breathing problems or other health issues are most at risk of adverse effects of air pollution and are advised to reduce or avoid outdoor physical exertion at these times.