Three unattended campfires on Mayne Island in 10 days, and the island's already at Extreme

Firefighters on Mayne Island have doused three unattended campfires in the last 10 days, the most recent on July 13, on an island where all outdoor burning has been banned since May 3 and the fire danger rating sits at Extreme.

The timing is the worry. BC Wildfire Service operations director Cliff Chapman told a July 14 news conference the province could be dealing with a significant wildfire event within 24 hours, with dry lightning and wind forecast across most of B.C. from Wednesday afternoon into Friday. Dry lightning arrives with little or no rain, so there's no moisture to slow a fresh start before crews can reach it.

Conditions on the ground here are already stretched. East Vancouver Island, from Sayward down to Greater Victoria, is in a Level 4 drought, the second-most severe on the province's scale, and stream flows in some Island areas are at the 10th percentile of normal or lower. As of Thursday noon, a campfire ban covers most of the Coastal Fire Centre, including the Gulf Islands.

On Mayne, propane fire pits are still allowed. Anything else, the fire service says, call 911.