Okanagan

Gary Symons was living an idyllic life in B.C.'s Okanagan Valley. But one catastrophic fire season after another and a heat dome made him decide to pull up stakes and move.

Forrest Tower of the BC Wildfire Service said that while it's not uncommon for some fires to burn through the winter, that number usually hovers around a couple dozen, not the 106 that were listed as active on New Year's Day.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada says severe weather caused more than $3.1 billion in insured damage in 2023, the fourth-worst year on record.

The Insurance Bureau of Canada's annual tally is topped by wildfires in the Okanagan and Shuswap areas of B.C., which cost $720 million. 

Warmth related to the El Niño climate phenomenon this week has pushed temperatures to record highs in regions including Metro Vancouver, Greater Victoria, the Sunshine Coast and the Okanagan.

British Columbia's 2023 wildfires were a life-changing disaster for many, and their impact has echoed into the holiday season.

Officials in British Columbia's Shuswap and Okanagan regions are shifting some of their attention from wildfire response to the challenges of recovery as flames abate and many evacuees begin returning home, although crews continue to fight out-of-control blazes.

With more than 400 active wildfires still burning in B.C. and many residents yet to return to their homes, it's too early to know the fate of the province's honeybees.

The last travel restriction for the Okanagan region in British Columbia has been lifted alongside all previous evacuation orders within Kelowna's city limits, as wildfires there diminish after this week's rainfall.

As Metro Vancouver is being warned about the risk of particulates in the air from wildfire smoke, those battling blazes in the central Okanagan say the smoke is helping their cause.

An aromatic insect shaped like a shield is lurking around homes and feasting on stone fruits in parts of southern British Columbia.

Residents of the British Columbia community of Olalla are now allowed to return home after being forced out by a threatening wildfire last week.

A growing wildfire in British Columbia’s Okanagan area, about 21 kilometres southwest of Penticton, has prompted evacuation orders for hundreds of properties in the area.

Tyson Marsel parked his truck in a field abutting B.C.'s Okanagan River, stepped into a pair of rubber hip waders and walked out into the smooth, frigid waters in search of salmon sperm. 

British Columbia is reporting a slight increase in the number of active wildfires but cooler temperatures and forecasts of rain could bring some relief.