A file photo of the Harrison Lake wildfire, taken Aug. 4, 2018.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/B.C. Wildfire
August 15, 2021 - 12:03 PM
When we talk about the size of a forest fire, we usually talk in hectares. But just how big is a hectare anyways?
The word hectare comes from the Greek word ‘hekaton’ which means one hundred — fitting since a perfect square-shaped hectare is 100 metres on every side.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/City of Vernon
A hectare is bigger than an acre (one hectare is equal to 2.47 acres ) and about two-and-a-half times the size of an average football field.
Here are some more helpful visuals for getting an idea of the size.
The grassy area inside a 400-metre running track is typically just over a hectare in size.
That’s the size of the track at the Greater Vernon Athletics Park and the Apple Bowl Stadium in Kelowna.
Aside from running tracks, many other sports are played on roughly one-hectare-sized surfaces. An international rugby track is just slightly larger than a hectare, and most baseball fields are around the one hectare mark, give or take.
FAMILIAR SPACES
Polson Park in Vernon is roughly 16 hectares.
Image Credit: Google Maps
Village Green Centre, also in Vernon, is between three and four hectares.
Image Credit: Google Maps
Orchard Park Shopping Centre in Kelowna is around eight hectares.
Image Credit: Google Maps
Kelowna City Park is 15 hectares.
Image Credit: Google Maps
Royal Inland Hospital in Kamloops has a footprint of about one hectare.
Image Credit: Google Maps
Pioneer Park in Kamloops is approximately two hectares.
Image Credit: Google Maps
The South Okanagan Events Centre in Penticton is just over a hectare.
Image Credit: Google Maps
The footprint of the Penticton Regional Hospital is nearly eight hectares.
Image Credit: Google Maps
THE BIGGER PICTURE
This is what 500 hectares looks like over Knox Mountain and the surrounding area in Kelowna.
Image Credit: Google Maps
This is what 1500 hectares would look like over the City of Kelowna.
Image Credit: Google Maps
Kalamalka Lake is roughly 2,500 hectares.
Image Credit: Google Maps
This is what 2,500 hectares would look like in downtown Kelowna.
Image Credit: Google Maps
- This story was originally published in 2018.
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