Kamloops

Grieving parents who lost their nine-year-old boy last week say their son died after a severe asthma attack made worse by wildfire smoke engulfing parts of British Columbia.

Over the last five years, I have observed that wildfires and their impacts are increasing in both frequency and area burned, with the 2021 season being the third-largest fire season in BC, behind 2017 and 2018. This results in summers essentially being “lost” to both tourists and residents in the Kamloops Fire Region.

The wildfire has now grown to 565 square kilometres in size.

Air quality alerts remain in place for several areas in B.C.'s southern Interior on Tuesday as more than 200 wildfires continue to burn through hundreds of square kilometres of the province.

"Environment Canada is currently predicting highs of 21–22 C Friday to Sunday this week (Thursday is just short at 19 C). That's well above the normal for this time of year, says Environment Canada meteorologist Lisa Erven, which usually sits at 17 C, but won't be record setting."

The first heat wave of the season went out with a bang across the province

Looking around the deserted plaza in front of the Sandman Centre arena in Kamloops on Monday, it’s hard to believe that last month it was crammed with thousands of people who were looking for help after being forced from their homes by wildfires.

Wildfire conditions remained 'static' during the long weekend but fires still a concern through August

More than 80 per cent of B.C.'s water basins are experiencing level 4 or 5 drought conditions, with salmon in many parts of the province struggling to make it to their spawning grounds.

Drivers on the Coquihalla could feel the heat in their cars as they rushed to clear the highway before the July Mountain fire overtook it. Somewhere in the ashes is the route for the Trans Mountain pipeline, a project that would fuel the climate change that’s making these fires worse.