Weekend rain a relief, but not enough to ease drought concerns

Residents had to break out their umbrellas again Sunday, but the recent rain hasn't been enough to ease fire and drought concerns. (CTV)

The weekend’s cool temperatures and rain have eased fire concerns around the province, but underneath their newly damp exteriors, B.C.’s trees and soils are still in the midst of a serious drought.

In Metro Vancouver, in fact, it’s a historic drought, the worst since the region started monitoring water 100 years ago.

Stage 3 water restrictions -- requiring all residents to quit watering their lawns or face a $250 fine -- are still in place around the region, as are drought warnings and fire bans.

“Just because we’ve had a couple days of rain, it doesn’t mean everything’s OK,” West Vancouver assistant fire chief Tony Bird told CTV News on Sunday. “We’re still on the same alerts we’ve been on. We’re still expecting it to get dry again.”

So far, the summer has produced an “extraordinary” number of calls for the department, Bird said, more than he’s ever experienced in 26 years living in the district.

A walk in the forest -- even in Stanley Park -- easily demonstrates why the recent rain has not been enough.

The canopy acts like a huge umbrella. Dig a few centimetres into the ground and one will find dry dirt and dry tree roots. The bark on most tree trunks is barely touched by rain.

Hans Schreier, a watershed management expert at the University of British Columbia, says residents and lawmakers should be paying more attention to the brutal drought sweeping the province.

The province's track record on water conservation is terrible, Schreier says, and Canadians are the second-highest users of water in the world after the U.S.

He says Metro Vancouver officials should be more proactive by requiring water-saving technology such as low-flush toilets and smart water meters in all homes, and he says climate change means there will be more droughts in the future, with serious consequences.

On B.C.’s fire lines, crews are not letting their guard down. Kelowna’s Westside fire has grown to some 560 hectares, but it’s now 75 per cent contained, as 21 Ontario firefighters arrive to relieve exhausted B.C. crews.

“It does take a significant amount of rain to put out a fire like this,” said Jordan Turner, of the B.C. Wildfire Service. “There’s still some risk. We’re going to continue to hit it with everything we can.”

An evacuation order for residents in the area of the Westside fire was downgraded to an evacuation alert on Friday, meaning residents could return to their homes, but had to be prepared to leave again at a moment’s notice. On Sunday, the evacuation alert was also lifted.

Across the province, there are still 71 active wildfires burning, and with a return to dry weather in the forecast, the gains made during the recent rain could easily be wiped out.

With files from The Canadian Press and CTV Vancouver’s Tom Popyk