Historic Drought Behind BC Wildfires, Salmon Die-off Could Continue, Experts Say

Dead fish are shown in the Neekas River on Heiltsuk territory, B.C. in this recent handout image provided by Sarah Mund. The Canadian Press/Sarah Mund

Thousands of dead fish, a prolonged wildfire season and intense water shortages leading to ice rink closures are all symptoms of record-setting drought in parts of British Columbia.

The Lower Mainland, Sunshine Coast and West Vancouver Island areas are experiencing Level 5 drought conditions—the most severe in the province’s classification scale, which the B.C. government’s drought information web page says means adverse impacts are “almost certain.”