B.C.’s record-setting wildfires explained in one chart

Wildfire season in British Columbia isn’t over yet, but the amount of land burned this year has already surpassed the record set nearly six decades ago.

Since April 1, more than 10,000 square kilometres of land has burned thanks to wildfires in the region. To put that in context, the total area burned this year is nearly one per cent of the entire province or nearly two Prince Edward Islands.

The previous seasonal record was set in 1958 when nearly 8,560 square kilometres of land burned across the province, largely due to one fire that burned around 2,260 square kilometres of land outside Prince Rupert.

The money spent fighting the blazes this year is also hitting highs. B.C. Finance Minister Carole James recently said the firefighting costs will have an impact on this year’s provincial budget, according to The Canadian Press. The current price tag sits at nearly $389 million.

Here’s a look at the amount of land burned from wildfires in the past 10 seasons: