What are the experts saying about the fire danger in the Central Okanagan this summer?
The predicted fire conditions are 'above normal' with the BC Wildfire Service carefully monitoring areas surrounding Kelowna and Kamloops where April precipitation amounts were well below normal.
The 2021 wildfire season in B.C. was the third worst on record in terms of area burned with the White Rock Lake fire beginning north of Kelowna last June.
The city of Vernon hosted wildfire evacuees and were put on evacauation alert with 1,400 properties evacuated on the west side of Okanagan Lake. Ten properties were lost on the Okanagan Indian Band reserve.
Investigators say the fire was sparked by lightning.
While the provincial outlook is favorable for May, wildfire activity could increase in locations that continue to receive below normal precipitation and at mid elevations as snow melts.