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B.C. wildfires holding steady at about 350 with 40% still out of control

Click to play video: 'BC wildfires: Slocan Lake complex update, evacuation order near Hullcar Mountain'
BC wildfires: Slocan Lake complex update, evacuation order near Hullcar Mountain
The B.C. Wildfire Service has updated the status of wildfires in the Slocan Valley. An evacuation order has been issued for properties surrounding the Hullcar Mountain wildfire near Armstrong. In the Okanagan, the Lower Blue Mountain Wildfire has put several neighbourhoods on evacuation alert and we're getting a new look at the Argenta Creek wildfire burning out of control near the north end of Kootenay Lake – Aug 7, 2024

The Okanagan Indian Band in British Columbia’s southern Interior says an out-of-control wildfire that has prompted evacuation orders and alerts has seen recent “slow” growth, but fire behaviour could intensify along with rising temperatures.

A statement from the First Nation outside Vernon on Thursday says BC Wildfire Service personnel were working to maintain guards around the seven-square-kilometre Hullcar Mountain blaze while helicopters douse it with water.

The blaze is one of nine wildfires of note in the province, meaning the fires are either highly visible or pose a threat to public safety and infrastructure.

Click to play video: 'Hundreds of wildfires burning in B.C. over long weekend'
Hundreds of wildfires burning in B.C. over long weekend

The total number of active blazes across B.C. continues to hover at just under 350, with about 40 per cent classified as burning out of control.

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The latest bulletin from the wildfire service says hot and dry conditions are expected to persist across most of B.C. through the weekend, raising the fire risk.

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It says thunderstorms with lightning and minimal rain are also expected to increase the likelihood of new fire starts and intensify activity at existing fires.

The Hullcar Mountain fire prompted evacuation orders earlier this week by the Spallumcheen Township, the Columbia Shuswap Regional District and Splatsin First Nation, while an evacuation alert has been issued by the Okanagan Indian Band.

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