It wasn’t a record-breaker, but 2024 was still a significant year for wildfires in B.C.
Final figures from the B.C. Wildfire Service show there were almost 1,700 blazes across the province last year—the fourth-highest on record.
The flames burned nearly 11,000 square kilometres.
About 70 per cent were sparked by lightning, with most of the rest caused by human activity.
In the Southeast Fire Centre, which covers the Kootenay Boundary, 73,048 hectares burned (about 730 square kilometres) from April to December, representing a significant increase from the 44,028 hectares burned in 2023.
The Prince George region was hardest hit, with 10 per cent of forested land consumed by fire.
In total, there were 372 fires in the Southeast Fire Centre and 1,688 fires provincially, costing the province about $621 million in suppression efforts.
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