Grim Forecast

B.C. Forests Minister Mike de Jong says this fire season could be much worse than last year in terms of the number of fires, and the cost to fight them.

369 fires are currently burning in our province compared to 196 at the same time last year.

That translates into 160,000 hectares now burning in B.C. There were only 12,000 hectares in flames at this time last year.

The province has already spent $80 million fighting forest fires and that figure will rise quickly in August, traditionally the worst part of the fire season.

DeJong is worried about current bone-dry conditions and a forecast predicting continued heat and dry lightning.

He says "the men and women in the various agencies are, to be blunt, working their asses off right now".

The devastating McLure-Barriere wildfire started north of Kamloops one year ago Friday and destroyed the small town of Louis Creek.

This year, the largest fire at Lonesome Lake, is almost 17-thousand hectares in size and has forced 60 people from their homes and placed another 1,300 on evacuation alert.