British Columbians all across the province have been on alert regarding wildfires. Fire bans have been mandated (on and off) across the province and areas of less risk have been permitted contained fires (such as BC north of Fraser Lake and Haida Gwaii).

According to BC's Wildfire Seasonal Outlook for July:

Since July 1, there has been 935 new wildfire starts in British Columbia. Over 70 per cent of those have been lightning caused.

The extreme heat experienced across the province in the beginning of July, in combination with below average precipitation levels in June, resulted in fuels being increasingly susceptible to ignition.

These conditions also attributed to rapid fire growth and increased rates of spread on existing wildfires.

The second half of July brought moderate precipitation to the northern regions of B.C., helping to slow fire growth and calm fire behaviour.

However, the precipitation received was not substantial enough to extinguish a number of large wildfires. As dry conditions return in August, there is potential for fire activity to increase. So far this year this has been 1,327 wildfires resulting in 557,718 hectares being burned or effected by fire.

With numbers like that and temperatures that continue to climb, many British Columbians are concerned about their own fire risk.

There are many helpful things you can do such as removing any fuels from around your home, keeping your grass cut short, and removing leaves and dry sticks and debris from places like gutters around your house and your eavestroughs.

You can also conduct your own safety assessment using a helpful app called FireSmart Begins At Home. This app will walk you through a series of home assessments and alert you of any fuels or potentially dangerous materials lying around your home.