Soaring temperatures has increased the fire danger rating to high or extreme across most of B.C.
A handful of new wildfires, some started by lightning, have erupted in the Salmon Arm, Penticton and Merritt regions.
An evacuation alert has been issued for 30 cabin owners at Murray Lake, just South of Merritt due to an aggressive blaze covering approximately 60 hectares.
On Monday, a wildfire in Chelaslie Arm forced the closure of Entiako Provincial Park and lead to evacuation orders for the Bulkley-Nechako area.
After spending several hours on the grounds and in helicopters, fire crews successfully contained a brush fire on Mount Boucherie in West Kelowna. Flames were ignited Tuesday afternoon on the west side of the mountain, which is located near the shore of Okanagan Lake.
A campfire ban begins Wednesday throughout the Thompson- Okanagan region in an attempt to minimize the number of human caused fires. The ban also applies to fireworks.
In Northern B.C., a massive 10,000 hectare fire is burning 56 kilometers west of Chetwynd at Mt. McAllister. The blaze is the largest fire in the Prince George Fire Centre.
High concentrations of smoke and ash have impacted the air quality in Prince George, which may potentially cause problems for locals suffering from asthma or a heart condition.
With record high temperatures coupled with strong winds, experts are predicting more fires in the coming days.
“We have about 16 active fires,” says Fire Information Officer Jill Kelsh, “we are expecting them to get bigger.”
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