Why did the ‘absolutely shocking’ B.C. wildfire intensify so fast?
Starting about 15 km northwest of Summerland last Friday, the Bald Ridge wildfire quickly grew to 50 square kilometres in just three hours after it was first detected.
The Bald Ridge wildfire near Summerland, British Columbia, has intensified rapidly and spread over 156 square kilometres, prompting a provincial state of emergency and evacuation of thousands of residents. Lori Daniels, a Kerner Chair at the University of British Columbia, described the fire's spread as "absolutely shocking," noting it went from ignition to consuming a thousand hectares within an hour, then to 5,000 in one night, and 10,000 within 24 hours.
The wildfire's trajectory deviated from typical patterns due to strong, westerly winds channeling through mountainous terrain. Environment Canada reported winds currently blowing north at 20 km/h, gusting to 40 km/h, which could reach 40-50 km/h as the fire spreads through dry, heated ground. Kent Moore, an atmospheric physics professor at the University of Toronto, stated that climate change is increasing evaporation and fuel drying, contributing to the lengthening fire season.
Experts emphasize that the fires represent the new reality of climate change, affecting regions across Canada with warming temperatures and varying forest conditions.
Written by urgent.news from Global News's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
