Drought is affecting much of British Columbia, including many parts of the southern and central interior.

Drought is affecting most of southern British Columbia and the central Interior due to very low rainfall, exacerbated by the recent extreme heat wave.

Extremely warm and dry conditions have prompted the Province to set a Level 3 drought rating for the Peace, Upper Fraser East and Upper Fraser West areas.

As warmer weather returns to parts of the province that were affected by last summer’s wildfires, some hotspots could emerge due to what are called “overwintering” fires.

Responding to continuing warm and dry conditions, the Province has announced a Level 4 drought rating for the South Thompson, Kettle and Granby watersheds.

The BC Wildfire Service is reminding the public that the operation of off-road vehicles (ORVs) and all motorcycles for recreational purposes on Crown land continues to be prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre.

With streams and rivers in the Middle Fraser, Similkameen, Coldwater, Nicola and Kettle watersheds experiencing very low flows, and weather conditions expected to remain dry, residents of the Cariboo and Thompson-Okanagan regions are urged to reduce their water consumption.

Western Premiers met in Vancouver over the past two days to discuss ways to build future prosperity in Canada’s Western provinces and territories.

Western Premiers acknowledged progress, as directed by Canada’s Premiers last year, on creating a national inventory of firefighting resources and ensuring that training is provided to Canadian Armed Forces personnel in wildfire firefighting techniques.