By Canadian Press

Coolest temperatures in a month expected to bring respite in B.C. wildfire fight

Jul 25, 2024 | 2:02 AM

Firefighters in British Columbia are expecting the warmer-than-usual weather to ease off today, fueling hope for more respite in their battle against more than 400 blazes.

The BC Wildfire Service says cooler temperatures and rain in the north slid into the central Interior on Wednesday, moving the mercury closer to seasonal norms for the first time in a month.

The wildfire service says the favourable forecast is giving crews a chance to make even more progress.

In the past week, at least 239 fires have been extinguished, and at least 124 fires have been brought under control.

However, about 260 fires continued to burn out of control as of late Wednesday.

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B.C. firefighters have been battling a spike in wildfires since the weekend, when dry weather and a heat wave were followed by tens of thousands of lightning strikes, triggering numerous fires.

Environment Canada is forecasting highs in the low or mid-20s in parts of the Interior, including Kamloops, Kelowna and Lytton, where temperatures breached 40 C just days ago.

Temperatures in the northern Interior, including Prince George and Williams Lake, are forecast to remain in the mid-teens.

Among the most severe wildfires in the province is the 225-square-kilometre Shetland Creek blaze near Spences Bridge, which has destroyed about 20 structures in the Venables Valley, including at least six homes.

Another fire of note is the four-square-kilometre Aylwin Creek fire south of Silverton in the Central Kootenay, which, as of late Wednesday, triggered an evacuation order for the village and 17 surrounding parcels.

On Vancouver Island, the Old Man Lake wildfire burns out of control about nine kilometres north of Sooke.

An update from the BC Wildfire Service says that fire, at just under one square kilometre in size, has seen some growth in unsuppressed areas, but the spread has been “away from any structures or critical infrastructure,” according to Julia Caranci with the Coastal Fire Centre.

“We have not recommended any evacuation alerts or orders associated with this incident currently,” Caranci says in an update posted on YouTube.

According to the Capital Regional District, the wildfire is burning a few kilometres south of the Sooke Lake Reservoir, which is part of the water supply area for about 350,000 people in Greater Victoria.

The district has enacted a number of recreational closures due to the Old Man Lake wildfire, including closing Sooke Potholes Regional Park, the Spring Salmon Place Campground and the access to Kapoor Regional Park.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 25, 2024.

The Canadian Press