2012 ISSUE 10 SEPTEMBER 21, 2012

In this Issue:

‘Extremely’ Dry

According to The Wildfire Act

Today at Coastal

Page 1

While it is not at all unusual for areas within

the Coastal Fire Centre to be in High or Extreme

Fire Danger Rating, it is unusual for it to be so in

the last half of September, and perhaps into

October. It is what one forecaster for the Fire

Centre is calling an ‘August type pattern’ and as a

result we are seeing ‘August type weather’. It

should be noted that there is a potential for

wildfires to behave as though it is August, with

the same spread rates and forest fuels

involvement.

The Build-up Index (BUI) is a numerical

rating of the total amount of fuel available for

combustion. Combining the Duff Moisture Code

and the Drought Code provides a numeric value

that indicates the BUI. A BUI rating of 41-70 is

considered ‘generally moderate’, 71-120 is

considered ‘generally high’, whereas 121+ is

‘extreme’.

Twenty of forty-six weather stations in the

Coastal Fire Centre have readings of extreme,

while thirteen are in the ‘generally high’

category. What this means is that the forest fuels

that are available to burn are not only the small,

rootless pieces on the ground but all fuels

including the duff layer and large logs which take

up to 52 days to dry. Fires which engage the

large fuels are harder to extinguish, take more

time to mop up and often burn deeply into the

subsurface. Fires which burn in the subsurface

are extremely stubborn to put out, as they take a

lot more digging, water and elbow grease to

extinguish.

How much rain do we need to drop the BUIs?

To drop the BUI’s 100 points you need

approximately 40 mm of rain. That is equal to

the total amount of rainfall in all of the month of

May of this year. And remember, this

precipitation will only take many of our weather

stations back to moderate.

The next week will be very telling in what

October will look like for the Wildfire

Management Branch. Our forecasters are looking

at two models which are very opposed. The

Canadian model is showing that the high will

weaken over the weekend and then bounce back

to dry, sunny weather whereas the American

model shows heavy rains falling by next

Thursday (September 28) that will literally

dampen the wildfire threat for this year. If the

rain arrives as predicted by the American model

this could be the season altering event we have

been waiting for. If the Canadian model is

correct, wildfire season may continue well into

October.

‘Extremely’ Dry

To Report a Wildfire:

1-800-663-5555 Or on a cell

*5555

For the danger class reading in your area:

http://bcwildfire.ca/hprScripts/DgrCls/index.asp?Region=2

Although it is not unusual for the fire season to

extend into September on the Coast, it is unusual to see

the number and size of areas of Extreme at this time of

year. Due to this continuing period of hot, dry weather

the Category 2 open fire prohibition (backyard burning,

debris burning and fireworks) has been extended

throughout Coastal with the exception of the Skeena-

Queen Charlotte, Mount Waddington and the Central

Coast regional districts. Remember always check with

your local municipality or regional district as their

burning bylaws take precedent over the Coastal Fire

Centres’.

In the Coastal Fire Centre there are currently six

modified response fires. Modified response fires are

fires that have a fire management plan put in place to

systematically, technologically and administratively

organize facilities, resources, and procedures to protect

people, property and forest areas from fire and/or to use

fire to accomplish forest management. According to BC

Parks, ‘as stewards of British Columbia’s parks and

protected areas, BC Parks must maintain natural

ecosystems while protecting public safety and values in

adjacent areas. Fire management in parks strives to

reunite fire with the landscape’. In the case of three of

the six modified response fires, fire is being used to

ecologically manage the forest within park boundaries.

Wolf River #2 Fire (V80481) - Size: 200 hectares

Discovered: Saturday August 18, 2012

Cause: Lightning Location: adjacent to Buttle Lake in Strathcona Park Culliton Creek Fire (V30363) - Size: 30 hectares Discovered: Wednesday August 15, 2012

Cause: Lightning Location: 15 km NE of Squamish, Garibaldi Park Birkenhead Fire (V30416) - Size: 100 hectares Discovered: August 18, 2012

Cause: Lightning Location: 12 kilometres NW of Birkenhead Lake, Qwalimak/Upper Birkenhead Conservancy. As long as these fires continue to burn within trigger

points set out in consultation with BC Parks, with no

threat to the public or values, they will be left for nature

to take its course.

Fire adapted and fire dependent species, as well as a

variety of vegetation rely on fire to flourish. Fire also

clears forest debris and results in less fire fuels on the

forest floor which reduces the fire intensity and damage

from future fires. Fire is a natural process that can

ultimately benefit the forest.

Today At Coastal

Prescribed Fire is the planned use of carefully

controlled fire to accomplish a predetermined

management goal. Burning is conducted under a

combination of weather, fuel moisture, soil moisture,

and fuel arrangement condition that allow the plan to be

conducted but confine the fire to the targeted area.

Section 18 of the Wildfire Act makes provision for

prescribed fires under the heading ‘Right of government

to use fire’ stating:

‘The minster may cause fire on, or allow fire to be

introduced onto, Crown land, other than Crown land

leased from the government, for the purpose of

(a) reducing the likelihood of unwanted fire on the

area,

(b) Increasing public safety,

(c) Enhancing forest land resources and values,

(d) Enhancing grass land resources and values, or

(e) Meeting other government objectives’

Although these reasons are given for prescribed

burning in the Act, the same reasons hold true for a

modified response fire. It is an ecologically sound way

of responding to a naturally beneficial event of the

forest.

To Date in

Coastal

Fires to Date

Person Caused 120

Lighting Caused 96

Total Number of Fires

216

Hectares burnt 395

Number of Incidents Responded to

794

Fire Danger Rating

As of September 20,

2012

See detailed weather forecast

Page 2

According to the Wildfire Act Weather

To Report a Wildfire:

1-800-663-5555 Or on a cell

*5555

SYNOPSIS.. Upper ridge continues to weaken and a

weak marine onshore flow is bringing low level clouds

which will take a few hours to clear today. With fewer

hours of sun the afternoon temperatures will be lower

than the last few days except for mid-slope stations

where the overnight inversion will allow a few degrees

of head start. Humidity also does not drop as much

today and winds continue light. Forecast models show

some moderate instability developing today mostly over

the coastal mountain peaks. The marine cloud layers

move in again tonight and a slight mountain slope

inversion reforms. Conditions clear slowly Saturday but

by afternoon most areas are in the sun again.

OUTLOOK.. A more active upper trough approaches

Sunday bringing cloudy periods and an increasing

chance of showers. Some rain reaches Haida Gwaii

early Sunday then spreads to the Mid-coast by Sunday

afternoon and northern Vancouver Island late Sunday.

The upper trough hangs over the south coast Monday

with patchy light shower activity but then drifts east by

Tuesday. A redeveloping ridge brings a slow clearing

trend by Wednesday with temperatures running near

seasonal normal.

LONG TERM TREND.. Canadian models show a new

major ridge with a return to sunny warm weather by late

next week while US products are less optimistic

showing bands of showers next week.