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2021 British Columbia wildfires


2021 British Columbia wildfires
Satellite imagery showing wildfires in British Columbia producing pyrocumulonimbus clouds spawning lightning strikes.
Evacuations: 19th April 2021
British Columbia, Canada
Forest and residential
2
Several
Unknown,Estimated 90% of Lytton, British Columbia destroyed in Lytton Creek fire, Village of Monte Lake destroyed and Paxton Valley destroyed
Unknown
Lightning and Human-Caused

The 2021 British Columbia wildfires burned across the Canadian province of British Columbia. The severity of the 2021 wildfire season has been attributed to the combination of extreme heat, lower than normal rainfall, and "repeated severe thunderstorms and lightning events" by the BC Wildfire Service, all of which were exacerbated by human-caused climate change.

As of August 16, over 1,500 fires had been recorded according to the BC Wildfire Service. The Sparks Lake Fire was the largest fire burning in the province, having burned an estimated 95,980 hectares (237,172 acres) of the Bonaparte Plateau northwest of the city of Kamloops.

A heat dome gripped the province of British Columbia, and much of Western North America, from June 25–30, 2021, increasing the risk of wildfires.

On June 30, the town of Lytton was evacuated due to a fire that destroyed most buildings and grew to over 300 square miles (780 km2) and sent people fleeing for their lives.

By July 1, 2021, almost 500 wildfires were burning across British Columbia. On July 20 the B.C. government declared a state of emergency.

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 405 ha (1,000 acres), or produced significant structural damage or casualties. More up to date information is available using this interactive map; BC Wildfire Service Map

  • List of disasters in Canada
  • 2021 Western North America heat wave
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