Bush Creek East fire
| Bush Creek East Part of the 2023 Canada wildfires | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Date(s) | July 12, 2023 – {{{time-end}}} |
| Location | Adams Lake and Shuswap Lake |
| Statistics | |
| Total area | 45,613 hectares (112,710 acres) |
| 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. The fire was listed as "being held" in September 2023 at a size of 45,613 hectares (112,710 acres).[1]
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.[2] 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.[3]
Ignition
The conflagration started as two separate fires, first detected on July 12, 2023. The first, named Bush Creek East, started on a ridge near Bush Creek between Adams Lake and Sun Peaks to the west. The second, called Lower Adams Lake East, started on the steep eastern shores of Adams Lake. Both were assessed to by caused by lightning, the result of a series of thunderstorms that passed over the area on July 11 and 12.[4]
Spread and structure loss
The two fires experienced moderate spread for more than an month, before spreading rapidly on August 19 and 20. A cold front caused strong 40 km/h winds from the north, causing a massive expansion of the fire. BC Wildfire officers reported a 20 km growth of the perimeter in 12 hours, a rate of growth "unheard of in B.C. wildfire activity".[5] The expanded fire destroyed over 200 structures in the North Shuswap area, with severe damages to the Little Shuswap Band, Scotch Creek, and Celista communities. 174 buildings were lost in the Columbia-Shuswap Regional District, 9 in the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, and 85 in the Skwlax First Nation.[6]
References
- ^ "Bush Creek East". wildfiresituation.nrs.gov.bc.ca. BC Wildfire Service. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Lockhart, Logan (2023-09-05). "Drought and heat make for 'very long summer' in the Okanagan-Shuswap - Salmon Arm Observer". www.saobserver.net. Retrieved 2023-09-20.
- ^ Labere, Lachlan (2023-09-25). "Shuswap's Bush Creek East wildfire 'being held'". Salmon Arm Observer. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
- ^ Matassa-Fung, Darrian. "Wildfire near Shuswap Lake runs 20 km in 12 hours, new order issued Saturday afternoon | Globalnews.ca". Global News. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
- ^ Dawson, Josh; Sep 5, Jon Manchester-; Story: 445060, 2023 / 4:08 pm |. "New count pegs estimated number of buildings destroyed by Shuswap blaze at 270 - Salmon Arm News". www.castanet.net. Retrieved 2023-09-29.
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