Bush Creek East fire
| Bush Creek East | |
|---|---|
| Date(s) | July 12, 2023 – {{{time-end}}} |
| Location | Adams Lake and Shuswap Lake |
| Statistics | |
| Total area | 43380 hectares |
| Ignition | |
| Cause | Lightning |
The Bush Creek East fire is an active wildfire in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The fire has caused major loss of structures and forced the evacuation of thousands of residents. The communities of Squilax, Lee Creek, Adams Lake, Scotch Creek, and Celista have been heavily impacted by the fire.
Background
Western Canada has seen a climate change-induced warming and drying trend since the mid-2000s. The province of B.C. experienced major fire seasons in 2017, 2018, and 2021, with burned areas far exceeding yearly averages.[1] Much of the province went into 2023 in drought conditions made worse by a hot, dry fall season in 2022 and lower than normal snowfall over the winter. The Shuswap and Okanagan regions saw average temperatures 2 degrees Celcius above normal during the summer, with extremely low amounts of precipitation.[2]
References
- ^ Parisien, Marc-André; Barber, Quinn E.; Bourbonnais, Mathieu L.; Daniels, Lori D.; Flannigan, Mike D.; Gray, Robert W.; Hoffman, Kira M.; Jain, Piyush; Stephens, Scott L.; Taylor, Steve W.; Whitman, Ellen (2023-09-05). "Abrupt, climate-induced increase in wildfires in British Columbia since the mid-2000s". Communications Earth & Environment. 4 (1). doi:10.1038/s43247-023-00977-1. ISSN 2662-4435.
- ^ "Drought and heat make for 'very long summer' in the Okanagan-Shuswap - Salmon Arm Observer". www.saobserver.net. 2023-09-05. Retrieved 2023-09-20.