Human-caused wildfires are down over the past several decades: B.C. Wildfire Service

Wildfires caused by human activity have decreased in recent years, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service. 

Human-caused wildfires are those started by anything other than lightning — power lines, vehicles, trains, smoking, campfires, industrial activity, light reflecting through glass, you name it; if a human directly caused the fire or something made by humans did, it counts. 

In an interview on CBC's Daybreak Kamloops, fire information officer Jean Strong said decades of public education campaigns around fire safety — particularly around flicking cigarette butts out the window and safely putting out campfires — have helped bring those numbers down significantly. 

Fires caused by cigarettes and other smoking materials are down 94 per cent, Strong said, while those started by campfires are down 60 per cent. 

"Human-caused fires have gone down overall over the past several decades of data that we have, which is great news," she said.

"We're really grateful for the people who have taken those public education campaigns to heart."

And while intentionally set fires, or arson, are rare, they do happen, but they're down too, Strong added. 

Of the 83 fires burning across B.C. on Monday morning, 62 were caused by lightning, while 17 were caused by humans, and four are undetermined. 

The one 'wildfire of note,' meaning it's created an increased level of interest, is the Izman Creek fire near Lytton, B.C. That fire was caused by sparks from an RCMP trailer, according to police. 

Strong said human-caused fires are more common during the spring and the fall because people are doing open burning, either for industry purposes or cleaning up their yards. 

"And then we tend to get more of those lightning-caused fires through those core summer months. But we certainly do still see human-caused fires throughout those summer months, especially as the fuels dry out more and more and become more likely to be receptive to ignition."

The B.C. Wildfire Service tracks human-caused fires in about 10 categories, which are reported internally, Strong said. But on its website, it reports only whether fires are caused by humans or lightning. 

Sometimes the cause of fires is obvious and straightforward, in which case, Strong said the wildfire service incident commander on scene will look for the fire's origin. If it's a little more difficult to discern or the fire is larger in size, a provincial fire origin and cause expert will identify the cause. 

Just because human-caused fires are trending downward doesn't mean the wildfire service has stopped educating the public about fire prevention. Its website says increased human activity and development are happening near forests, creating more possibilities for wildfires to start and cause substantial damage. 

And if you accidentally caused a wildfire? 

"Please report it," Strong said. "I understand that it can be scary, and it could be hard or feel hard to admit that you've contributed to this, but the sooner that we can respond or the structural fire department can get there, whoever gets there first, the better the outcome is going to be."

According to the B.C. Wildfire Service, you could face a fine of up to $1 million, and/or be given up to three years in jail, if a fire you started causes a wildfire. 

The Wildfire Act has laid out different fines depending on how the fire starts and spreads. 

Strong said while people can be fined for starting wildfires, they can also be fined for not reporting them.