The severity of the 2021 wildfire season has been attributed to the combination of extreme heat, lower than normal rainfall, and "repeated severe thunderstorms and lightning events" by the BC Wildfire Service,[2] and possibly exacerbated by human-caused climate change.

[5] The Sparks Lake Fire was the largest fire burning in the province, having burned an estimated 95,980 hectares (237,172 acres) of the Bonaparte Plateau northwest of the city of Kamloops.

[6][7][8][9] A heat dome gripped the province of British Columbia, and much of Western North America, from June 25–30, 2021, increasing the risk of wildfires.

[10] On June 30, the town of Lytton was evacuated due to a fire that destroyed most buildings and grew to over 300 square miles (780 km2)[11][12] and sent people fleeing for their lives.

[13] The following is a list of fires that burned more than 405 ha (1,000 acres), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.