PlaceDossier / BC places / Wildfires / 2021

BC wildfire season 2021

In 2021, the BC Wildfire Service recorded 1,647 wildfires, and their mapped perimeters cover 863,529 ha (8,635 km²): the 6th-largest season since 1990 by area. 59 fires grew past 1,000 ha and account for 96% of that area; the largest was the Sparks Lake wildfire at 89,627 ha. Large fires reached Tumbler Ridge, Logan Lake, Lytton and Sicamous.

Sparks Lake wildfire, 2021: 89,627 haLytton Creek wildfire, 2021: 83,671 haWhite Rock Lake wildfire, 2021: 83,047 haWildfire C41602, 2021: 73,863 haTremont Creek wildfire, 2021: 62,524 haMckay Creek wildfire, 2021: 44,964 haCutoff Creek wildfire, 2021: 33,073 haOctopus Creek wildfire, 2021: 22,042 haChief Louis Lake wildfire, 2021: 20,886 haNk' Mip Creek wildfire, 2021: 19,930 haWildfire K61882, 2021: 19,336 haMomich Lake wildfire, 2021: 17,068 haBlackpine wildfire, 2021: 16,836 haGarrison Lake wildfire, 2021: 14,618 haMichaud Creek #1 wildfire, 2021: 14,248 haMount Porter wildfire, 2021: 13,702 haWildfire C21250, 2021: 12,040 haWildfire G61199, 2021: 11,665 haThomas Creek wildfire, 2021: 10,597 haKlawli Lake wildfire, 2021: 8,438 haPurdy Lake wildfire, 2021: 8,086 haGladstone Park wildfire, 2021: 7,911 haForres Mountain wildfire, 2021: 7,771 haCultus Creek wildfire, 2021: 7,589 haCold Fish Lake wildfire, 2021: 7,494 haWildfire C41097, 2021: 7,453 haWildfire C51290, 2021: 7,195 haWildfire G80997, 2021: 6,417 haTrozzo Creek wildfire, 2021: 5,953 haWildfire G72511, 2021: 5,255 haBunting Road wildfire, 2021: 5,204 haMowhokam Creek wildfire, 2021: 5,098 haWinnifred Creek wildfire, 2021: 5,081 haGeorge Road wildfire, 2021: 5,017 haGrizzly Lake wildfire, 2021: 4,892 haCrazy Creek Gorge wildfire, 2021: 4,389 haHunakwa Lake wildfire, 2021: 3,984 haAkokli Creek wildfire, 2021: 3,795 haWildfire G91020, 2021: 3,470 haTent wildfire, 2021: 3,400 haBeatton River wildfire, 2021: 3,359 haWildfire C41191, 2021: 3,278 haWildfire C41100, 2021: 3,257 haBill Nye Mountain wildfire, 2021: 2,993 haPine River wildfire, 2021: 2,595 haBearhole wildfire, 2021: 2,519 haTwo Mile Road wildfire, 2021: 2,456 haMt. Ruppel wildfire, 2021: 2,360 haSouth Tributary T… wildfire, 2021: 2,179 haWildfire C11805, 2021: 1,886 haWildfire C31056, 2021: 1,834 haWildfire C51355, 2021: 1,833 haWildfire C31947, 2021: 1,517 haWildfire G11126, 2021: 1,475 haStar Creek wildfire, 2021: 1,354 haDerickson Lake wildfire, 2021: 1,163 haHobson Peak wildfire, 2021: 1,150 haRedding Creek wildfire, 2021: 1,131 haCarney Creek wildfire, 2021: 1,076 ha

Fires of 1,000 ha or more in 2021Other years since 1990

The 59 large fires of 2021, largest first

  1. 1Sparks Lake (K21001)June 28, 2021 · Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area J (Copper Desert Country); Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area O (Lower North Thompson)89,627 ha
  2. 2Lytton Creek (K71086)June 30, 2021 · Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area I (Blue Sky Country); Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area N (Beautiful Nicola Valley - South)83,671 ha
  3. 3White Rock Lake (K61884)July 12, 2021 · Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area M (Beautiful Nicola Valley - North); North Okanagan, Electoral Area B83,047 ha
  4. 4C41602July 8, 2021 · Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area E (Bonaparte Plateau); Cariboo, Electoral Area G73,863 ha
  5. 5Tremont Creek (K21849)July 7, 2021 · Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area J (Copper Desert Country); Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area I (Blue Sky Country)62,524 ha
  6. 6Mckay Creek (K71030)June 29, 2021 · Squamish-Lillooet, Electoral Area B; Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area E (Bonaparte Plateau)44,964 ha
  7. 7Cutoff Creek (G41269)June 30, 2021 · Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area D; Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area F33,073 ha
  8. 8Octopus Creek (N51800)July 8, 2021 · Central Kootenay, Electoral Area K; Central Kootenay, Electoral Area J22,042 ha
  9. 9Chief Louis Lake (R11562)July 6, 2021 · Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area E20,886 ha
  10. 10Nk' Mip Creek (K52061)July 19, 2021 · Okanagan-Similkameen, Electoral Area C; Okanagan-Similkameen, Electoral Area A19,930 ha
  11. 11K61882July 13, 2021 · Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area N (Beautiful Nicola Valley - South)19,336 ha
  12. 12Momich Lake (K21658)July 8, 2021 · Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area O (Lower North Thompson); Columbia-Shuswap, Electoral Area F17,068 ha
  13. 13Blackpine (G61316)June 30, 2021 · Peace River, Electoral Area B; Stikine Region16,836 ha
  14. 14Garrison Lake (K62088)July 19, 2021 · Okanagan-Similkameen, Electoral Area H14,618 ha
  15. 15Michaud Creek #1 (N51765)July 3, 2021 · Central Kootenay, Electoral Area J; Kootenay Boundary D / Rural Grand Forks14,248 ha
  16. 16Mount Porter (G61192)June 5, 2021 · Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area C13,702 ha
  17. 17C21250June 2, 2021 · Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area E (Bonaparte Plateau)12,040 ha
  18. 18G61199June 30, 2021 · Peace River, Electoral Area B11,665 ha
  19. 19Thomas Creek (K51794)July 11, 2021 · Okanagan-Similkameen, Electoral Area D10,597 ha
  20. 20Klawli Lake (G61132)June 30, 2021 · Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area C8,438 ha
  21. 21Purdy Lake (C11491)July 5, 2021 · Cariboo, Electoral Area I8,086 ha
  22. 22Gladstone Park (N61687)July 8, 2021 · Kootenay Boundary D / Rural Grand Forks7,911 ha
  23. 23Forres Mountain (G61381)July 2, 2021 · Peace River, Electoral Area B7,771 ha
  24. 24Cultus Creek (N71245)July 1, 2021 · Central Kootenay, Electoral Area A7,589 ha
  25. 25Cold Fish Lake (R91496)July 5, 2021 · Kitimat-Stikine, Electoral Area D7,494 ha
And 34 more
  1. 26C41097June 30, 2021 · Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area E (Bonaparte Plateau); Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area J (Copper Desert Country)7,453 ha
  2. 27C51290July 1, 2021 · Cariboo, Electoral Area J7,195 ha
  3. 28G80997June 28, 2021 · Peace River, Electoral Area B6,417 ha
  4. 29Trozzo Creek (N51705)July 8, 2021 · Central Kootenay, Electoral Area H; Central Kootenay, Electoral Area F5,953 ha
  5. 30G72511August 8, 2021 · Peace River, Electoral Area D5,255 ha
  6. 31Bunting Road (K41561)July 6, 2021 · North Okanagan, Electoral Area F5,204 ha
  7. 32Mowhokam Creek (V11669)July 8, 2021 · Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area I (Blue Sky Country); Fraser Valley, Electoral Area A5,098 ha
  8. 33Winnifred Creek (K42042)July 17, 2021 · North Okanagan, Electoral Area E5,081 ha
  9. 34George Road (K70804)June 16, 2021 · Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area I (Blue Sky Country)5,017 ha
  10. 35Grizzly Lake (G41711)July 9, 2021 · Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area F4,892 ha
  11. 36Crazy Creek Gorge (K41769)July 9, 2021 · Columbia-Shuswap, Electoral Area F; Columbia-Shuswap, Electoral Area E4,389 ha
  12. 37Hunakwa Lake (K41676)July 8, 2021 · Columbia-Shuswap, Electoral Area F3,984 ha
  13. 38Akokli Creek (N71686)July 7, 2021 · Central Kootenay, Electoral Area A3,795 ha
  14. 39G91020June 28, 2021 · Peace River, Electoral Area B3,470 ha
  15. 40Tent (G71138)June 30, 2021 · Tumbler Ridge3,400 ha
  16. 41Beatton River (G81007)June 28, 2021 · Peace River, Electoral Area B3,359 ha
  17. 42C41191July 1, 2020 · Cariboo, Electoral Area H3,278 ha
  18. 43C41100June 30, 2021 · Cariboo, Electoral Area H3,257 ha
  19. 44Bill Nye Mountain (N11629)July 8, 2021 · East Kootenay, Electoral Area E2,993 ha
  20. 45Pine River (G72591)August 13, 2021 · Peace River, Electoral Area E2,595 ha
  21. 46Bearhole (G72463)August 2, 2021 · Peace River, Electoral Area D2,519 ha
  22. 47Two Mile Road (K42078)July 20, 2021 · Columbia-Shuswap, Electoral Area E; Sicamous2,456 ha
  23. 48Mt. Ruppel (N51724)July 8, 2021 · Central Kootenay, Electoral Area H2,360 ha
  24. 49South Tributary T… (K22230)July 25, 2021 · Thompson-Nicola, Electoral Area A (Wells Gray Country)2,179 ha
  25. 50C11805July 11, 2021 · Cariboo, Electoral Area C1,886 ha
  26. 51C31056June 27, 2021 · Cariboo, Electoral Area F1,834 ha
  27. 52C51355July 3, 2021 · Central Coast, Electoral Area C; Cariboo, Electoral Area J1,833 ha
  28. 53C31947July 15, 2021 · Cariboo, Electoral Area F1,517 ha
  29. 54G11126June 30, 2021 · Cariboo, Electoral Area I; Bulkley-Nechako, Electoral Area F1,475 ha
  30. 55Star Creek (K41651)July 8, 2021 · North Okanagan, Electoral Area E1,354 ha
  31. 56Derickson Lake (K51041)June 29, 2021 · Central Okanagan1,163 ha
  32. 57Hobson Peak (K42140)July 21, 2021 · North Okanagan, Electoral Area E1,150 ha
  33. 58Redding Creek (N11795)July 10, 2021 · Central Kootenay, Electoral Area A; East Kootenay, Electoral Area E1,131 ha
  34. 59Carney Creek (N71793)July 8, 2021 · Central Kootenay, Electoral Area D1,076 ha

Under each fire: when it started and the places with the most of it. Bars compare each fire with the season's largest.

Wildfires recorded1,647
Area inside mapped perimeters863,529 ha (8,635 km²)
Fires of 1,000 ha or more59, covering 827,038 ha
Rank by area since 19906th of 36

Every fire of 1,000 ha or more since 1990, as the BC Wildfire Service mapped it. A perimeter is the fire's outer edge: patches inside it may not have burned, and the hectares are the area inside it. A fire that burned through the winter keeps the year it started. Names are the province's; a fire without one goes by its fire number. The area adds up every perimeter of the season, small fires included; where two fires' perimeters overlap, the ground is counted twice, so totals can differ from the BC Wildfire Service's season summary.

Past fire is history, not a forecast. The chance of fire on a lot today depends on what the record doesn't show: the forest and grass around it, the slope, what has been thinned or burned since, and how far it is from a fire hall.

Sources: BC Wildfire Fire Perimeters – Historical, BC Wildfire Service; BC Wildfire Fire Perimeters – Current, BC Wildfire Service; BC Wildfire Fire Incident Locations – Historical, BC Wildfire Service; BC Wildfire Fire Locations – Current, BC Wildfire Service (Open Government Licence – British Columbia), as published on October 2, 2026. Outlines simplified and places measured by PlaceDossier.

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