The Idea that 2017 &1958 were Worst Years is Complete Bunk

[Glacier]

Source: https://emergency-maps.lightship.works/ ... 7Q/details

[Frisk]

Why is it complete bunk? It's referring to the total area burned in BC. 2017 is the highest on record.
If you only show a picture of the kamloops and southeast fire centres then obviously it's going to look like 2003 was the worst year since that area was hardest hit in 2003.

[Glacier]

Well, Kelowna and Vancouver and Victoria are the major centres of the universe, so no fire here in the Okanagan means it's a low fire season.

In all seriousness though, it's quite interesting how really bad years in one area of the province don't translate into bad years elsewhere.

[Frisk]

In all seriousness though, it's quite interesting how really bad years in one of the province don't translate into bad years elsewhere.

I think this is when your post mentioned in the other thread comes true, lack of lightning. When we're talking about the kamloops fire centre as a whole, the lack of lightning is really what separates us from 2003.

[Drip_Torch]

I happen to agree with Glacier, the notion that 2017 and 1958 were the worst years is bunk and completely unsupported by the Canadian Disaster Database, maintained by Public Safety Canada.

For those of us that follow such things, one of the largest fires in BC’s history was a wildfire that happened in Victoria on February 12, 1977. It burned over 103,000 hectares of land, destroying 116 homes and 339 outbuildings. Over 120,000 sheep perished in the fire.

That fire had really good run in the Canadian database and lasted for decades, but it was finally removed, not replaced, in 2014. It’s not that it didn’t happen, oh it happened, but here’s long form math:
Wildfire + February + Victoria = Australia.

Some of the other BC wildfire natural disasters noted in the Canadian Database:

1985 – “North east of Vancouver a forest fire destroyed half a million acres of timberland.”

1994 – July 24th “British Columbia, a forest fire destroyed 5.9 hectares of land and caused 3000 people to be evacuated.”

1998 British Columbia, “687 forest fires caused 10,600 people to be evacuated and burned 42,115 hectares of forest. Total estimated cost $2,795.”

2003 Southeastern British Columbia and Southwestern Alberta – “Dozens of communities were evacuated due to wildfires started by lightning and careless fire use.”

… and the list goes on to cover the other 9 wildfire disasters that have happened in British Columbia since 1900. One of those was burns bog in 2016. A disaster...

Don’t get me wrong, I understand these are the Fed’s and they have more important things to be concerned with like, cyber security. God forbid, I can’t spend hours on a website searching out that phone number to the automated menu that doesn’t include my reason for calling. And, terrorism, got to keep an eye out for jihadists with dirty bombs, wouldn’t want anyone spreading isotopes through the atmosphere. (which, by the way, is exactly what happens during wildfires, but don’t worry about it cause they can only detect it in Ottawa.)

Ack, it’s not like anyone has ever exploited fire vulnerabilities for nefarious reasons.

(insert insanely long list that goes back to the beginning of time here)

[Glacier]

There hasn't been a single fire in the Okanagan this year (large enough to map), unlike 1922, 1958, and 2003.

[Drip_Torch]

There hasn't been a single fire in the Okanagan this year (large enough to map), unlike 1922, 1958, and 2003.

That's not a bad thing.

1922, the year Sayward residents started meeting every morning, discussing the advantages of having a local government and establishing a fire department.

Which is precisely what they did - after they got the fire out.

[Drip_Torch]

Hey Glacier, I'm working overtime to support your premise here...

It appears you might be right, and even if 2017 really is a bad fire year, Castanet posters just aren't feeling it.

The Castanet Poster Passion index for 2017 is 23.57, or mediocre. I tried going back in time to figure out why Poster Passion peaked at 34.43 in 2011, but it appears the drought codes are such that "they" have put some restrictions on where a drip torch can go.

ETA: Okay I managed to get a special travel permit to go back in time, and it appears on first glance to be an anomaly created by grammafreddy and DonaldG.

The 2011 fire season will go down in history as one of the slowest on record. Cool and wet conditions in the spring and early summer months resulted in minimal fire activity. Record breaking temperatures in late August and early September dried out the province and increased the danger ratings. But the number of fire starts remained low because there was very little lightning activity.

[Frisk]

The Castanet Poster Passion index for 2017 is 23.57, or mediocre. I tried going back in time to figure out why Poster Passion peaked at 34.43 in 2011, but it appears the drought codes are such that "they" have put some restrictions on where a drip torch can go.

Poster-Passion-Index.jpg

The 2011 fire watch board was combined with the 2009 & 2010 boards, hence the higher post count.

[Drip_Torch]

The 2011 fire watch board was combined with the 2009 & 2010 boards, hence the higher post count.

Oh hell, that corrupts the data now - doesn't it.

[Drip_Torch]

Sorry Glacier, the writing is on the wall. (I just pinned a copy of the IFR there) I'm jumping ship - it's a bad fire year.

You're on your own.

[Glacier]

Hey Glacier, I'm working overtime to support your premise here...

It appears you might be right, and even if 2017 really is a bad fire year, Castanet posters just aren't feeling it.

Dammit, dammit, we jinxed this! Lots of rain just north of me (7C colder in Kamloops right now than Vernon), but to the south I see the smoke billowing up.