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Wet weather dampens B.C. wildfire costs

KAMLOOPS, B.C. – A provincial fire official says rain has dampened wildfire conditions across B.C. this summer.

Hot, dry conditions fueled a number of blazes early in May, especially in the northeast of the province, but Claire Allen with the B.C. Wildfire service says wet weather has created a downturn in fire activity over the past month.

READ MORE: Fort St. John wildfire coverage

She says the early fires spiked the wildfire service’s costs and the province has now spent $72.7 million fighting fires this year.

The province had spent $111 million by this point in 2015.

Allen says warm weather is expected in the coming weeks, and crews are prepared to handle any fires that weather may bring.

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There have been 533 fires throughout the province this year, torching 934 square kilometres.

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