The BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) says 67 new wildfires were sparked across British Columbia in the past 24 hours as a result of a widespread subtropical weather system that brought hot temperatures and significant lightning activity.
According to BCWS, lightning-caused fires were reported in all of the province’s southern fire centres on Saturday. More than 7,000 lightning strikes were recorded across B.C. during the weather event.
While the lightning ignited dozens of new fires, the storm system also delivered substantial rainfall to many areas, helping reduce fire behaviour and limit the spread of new starts.
BCWS says crews were prepared for the weather conditions and were able to respond quickly to emerging fires before activity escalated. As a result, most of the newly discovered wildfires are already classified as being held or under control.
There are currently 181 active wildfires burning across B.C.
