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A helicopter drops water while fighting the Brunswick Creek wildfire in Boston Bar, B.C., on Thursday, July 9, 2026. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck
By The Canadian Press

Here are the latest numbers on British Columbia’s wildfire season

Jul 21, 2026 | 1:07 PM

VANCOUVER — Wildfire and government officials in British Columbia have provided an update on the season to date. Here are some key figures, as of Tuesday morning.

Fires burning: 85

Fires starts since April 1: 635

Causes of all fires to date: Human-caused 57 per cent, lightning 39 per cent, undetermined 4 per cent

Causes of all current fires: Lightning 79 per cent, human-caused 15 per cent, undetermined 6 per cent.

Evacuation orders: 600 properties

Evacuees: 430

Evacuation alerts: 5,700 properties

Firefighting personnel: 717

Aircraft: 102

Total area burned: 520 square kilometres to date, compared to 8,864 square kilometres last year and a 20-year annual average of 5,089 square kilometres

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 21, 2029.

Canadian Press Staff, The Canadian Press

by The Canadian Press