Summer 2026 Seasonal Outlook
[This article was previously published by the BC Wildfire Service, here.]
After a variable spring that saw a range of conditions across B.C., the warmest months of the year are now [upon us]. As we enter this period of elevated wildfire risk, we are closely monitoring conditions to ensure we’re ready to respond.
To forecast the core wildfire season, we consider three key factors: drought levels, overwinter snowpack and periods of prolonged heat without rain in June. Watch the video to hear more on what we predict for summer 2026 from the Superintendent of the Predictive Services Unit, Neal McLoughlin.
Highlights of the summer 2026 outlook include:
- Long-range guidance favours a warmer-than-normal summer across much of B.C. and Canada
- Long-term precipitation deficits have created above-average drought conditions in the Chilcotin, Lower Thompson, Okanagan, Vancouver Island and Northeast regions of B.C.
- The amount of rain required to mitigate these regions experiencing persistent multi-year drought is unlikely this summer
- Fire activity is expected to peak through July and August resulting in vigorous and difficult-to-control wildfires throughout the Central and Southern Interior and South Coast
Read the full article here: https://blog.gov.bc.ca/bcwildfire/summer-2026-seasonal-outlook/
sue.handel@pfla.bc.ca
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