Fewer wildfires burning across B.C., but hot, dry weather expected by weekend

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – British Columbia’s Wildfire Service is urging people against becoming too complacent as the number of blazes burning up forests drops by dozens.

Fire information officer Kevin Skrepnek says there are currently about 166 wildfires across B.C., down from the 220 reported by the service early this week.

He says lightning has caused fewer fires to continue burning because of accompanying rain and that crews have hit the flames fast.

Skrepnek says that despite lower temperatures in recent days, hot dry weather is expected to return by the weekend.

He says B.C. saw an abnormal amount of lightning early in the fire season but now is the time when the core lightning season normally begins.

The wildfire service says 96 properties are on evacuation order across B.C., about 300 members of the Alexis Creek First Nation remain on evacuation alert, and a campfire ban is still in place except for Haida Gwaii and the fog zone.