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In 2021, wildfires in B.C. have burned more land than all of P.E.I.

Largest individual wildfires are bigger than some entire nations
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The out of control Sparks Lake fire burning forests on June 30, 2021. BC WILDFIRE SERVICE

Wildfires in British Columbia in 2021 have consumed more land than the entire area of Prince Edward Island.

According to statistics from the B.C. Wildfire Service, as of Aug. 5, wildfires had destroyed 583,246 hectares, or 5,832 square kilometres. That is bigger than the entire area of Prince Edward Island, at 5,660 square kilometres.

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In addition, some of the individual fires now burning are larger than some entire nations.

By Aug. 6, the Lytton Creek wildfire had reached an area of 51,589 hectares or 516 square kilometres and Sparks Lake wildfire near Kamloops had reached 77,101 hectares or 771 square kilometres. Each of these fires is considerably larger than the Caribbean island nation of Barbados or the European nation of Andorra.

In the South Okanagan Similkameen, the Garrison Lake, Thomas Creek, and Nk’Mip Creek Wildfires combined total 36,885 hectares, larger than Hawkesbury Island off B.C.’s own coast.

Roughly half of British Columbia’s wildfire damage has been within the Kamloops Fire Centre’s coverage area, with 290,273 hectares destroyed.

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John Arendt

About the Author: John Arendt

John Arendt has worked as a journalist for more than 30 years. He has a Bachelor of Applied Arts in Journalism degree from Ryerson Polytechnical Institute.
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