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The number of wildfires that occur on average every year
in British Columbia is usually given as 2,000, with half
caused by people and half caused by lightning.
Because this is an average, it is different every
year, and therefore this generalization is never totally accurate.
The current 10-year average*, taken from 1998 to 2007, is 1,848 fires, 42.6% caused by people and 57.4% caused by lightning.
The following table shows the number and percentage
of people- and lightning-caused fires for last year and the 10 preceeding years.
| Year | Total Fires | Total Hectares | Total Cost (millions) | Average Hectares
per Fire | People-Caused | Lightning-Caused |
|---|
| 2008 | 2027 | 13,233 | $82.1 | 6.5 | 850 | (41.9%) | 1176 | (58%) |
| 2007 | 1606 | 29,440 | $98.8 | 18.3 | 687 | (42.8%) | 919 | (57.2%) |
| 2006 | 2570 | 139,265 | $159.0 | 54.2 | 1034 | (40.2%) | 1536 | (59.8%) |
| 2005 | 976 | 34,588 | $47.2 | 35.4 | 591 | (60.6%) | 385 | (39.4%) |
| 2004 | 2394 | 220,518 | $164.6 | 92.1 | 681 | (28.4%) | 1713 | (71.6%) |
| 2003 | 2473 | 265,053 | $371.2 | 107.2 | 959 | (38.8%) | 1514 | (61.2%) |
| 2002 | 1783 | 8,539 | $37.8 | 4.8 | 911 | (51.1%) | 872 | (48.9%) |
| 2001 | 1266 | 9,677 | $53.8 | 7.6 | 787 | (62.2%) | 479 | (37.8%) |
| 2000 | 1539 | 17,673 | $51.5 | 11.5 | 697 | (45.3%) | 842 | (54.7%) |
| 1999 | 1208 | 11,581 | $21.1 | 9.6 | 609 | (50.4%) | 599 | (49.6%) |
| 1998 | 2665 | 76,574 | $153.9 | 28.7 | 910 | (34.1%) | 1755 | (65.9%) |
| Average * | 1848 | 81,291 | $115.9 | 36.9 | 780.6 | 42.6% | 1003.5 | 57.4% |
* The average does not include the most recent year.
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