Vancouver Island: Less snow and rain leads to higher risk of wildfire this summer

By Eric Plummer
Ha-Shilth-Sa | Canada’s Oldest First Nation’s Newspaper
July 6, 2026
Category: Forestry
Region: Canada West

Vancouver Island, BC — The Coastal Fire Centre reports a shift from warm, dry conditions to cooler, wetter weather over the first week and a half of July. However, previous weather conditions point towards a drier summer season for Vancouver Island. “Looking at the next seven days from a typical standpoint, we’re not elevating dryness specifically. But we’re also not bringing in much precipitation either. So, we’re essentially just keeping conditions generally steady,” said Ken Dosanjh, meteorologist with Environmental and Climate Change Canada, on July 2. In early July the Fire Danger Rating measure … shows much of Vancouver Island at the ‘low’ level, which entails easy fire start and quick spread but with minimal involvement of deeper fuel layers or larger fuels.  Port Alberni, Nanaimo and the Victoria area have a ‘moderate’ fire danger rating, with forest fuels drying and an increased risk of surface fire starting. 

Read More