2017 wildfire season most expensive in recent memory
2017 wildfire season most expensive in recent memory
04 October 2017
published by http://www.cfjctoday.com
CANADA: KAMLOOPS — 2017 proved to be the most expensive wildfire season in recent memory.
According to BC Wildfire Service’s Ryan Turcot, provincial suppression costs to date amount to $552 million.
That’s nearly nine times the original budget of $63 million.
“The 2009 fire season was just over $382 million and the 2003 wildfire season before factoring in inflation amounted to just under $377 million which shows how significant this year has been,” said Turcot. “At peak capacity this year the B.C. Wildfire Service was utilizing well over 47-hundred personnel which is a significant amount to have during a wildfire season.”
And it isn’t over yet.
Turcot says 130 contained wildfires continue to burn across B.C.
Turcot couldn’t provide a number on how many firefighters remain on the grounds but noted all out-of-province workers have returned home.
More than 47-thousand people were evacuated from their homes at the height of this summer’s wildfire season.
