---
title: "BC Hydro says wildfire and storm seasons now overlap, raising year-round outage risk"
description: "BC Hydro replaced 1,265 power poles during the 2026 wildfire season, and says drought-weakened trees are making storms more destructive. Residents should have a 72-hour emergency kit ready."
canonical_url: "https://voche.me/bc/provincial-2026/news/bc-hydro-year-round-emergency-season-report-november-2026"
last_updated: "2026-11-08T16:39:38.862Z"
---

BC Hydro replaced 1,265 power poles during the 2026 wildfire season alone, and the utility says that damage is making the province's fall and winter storms more dangerous. In a report published November 5, 2026, the utility said the line between wildfire season and storm season is blurring across the province.

"There isn't always a clean break between wildfire season and storm season anymore," Whitney Deane, a BC Hydro spokesperson, said in the release.

## What the report found

Drought weakens trees through the summer, and fire-damaged trees can appear standing until a storm brings them down on power lines. BC Hydro says this connection means damage from a dry summer shapes how badly a fall windstorm hits the grid.

The report adds that wildfire-affected land also faces higher risk of flooding, erosion and landslides when heavy rain follows. BC Hydro said 22 wildfires were still burning across BC when the report was published.

Trees are the leading cause of storm-related power outages in BC, according to BC Hydro. The utility said it has tripled its annual spending on cutting, trimming and removing trees near power lines over the past six years, reaching about $150 million a year.

## This fall and winter

BC Hydro said forecasters were monitoring conditions that could bring continued weather swings this winter. The utility did not name a specific forecast, but said preparation was now a year-round task rather than a seasonal one.

The timing of the report comes during a stretch of storms on the BC south coast and Vancouver Island. BC Hydro has had crews working since Friday, November 7, to restore power to tens of thousands of customers. A third storm system was expected to arrive Monday.

## What you can do

BC Hydro asks households to build a 72-hour emergency kit with water, food, medications, flashlights, batteries and a first aid kit, and to have a household communication plan in place before an outage hits.

During a storm, stay at least 10 metres away from any downed power line and call 911 to report it. Any line on the ground should be treated as live. Report outages through the BC Hydro app or at bchydro.com and check the outage map at bchydro.com/power-outages/app/outage-map.html to track restoration in your area.

## Sitemap

See the full [sitemap](/bc/provincial-2026/sitemap.md) for all pages.