As summer vacation winds down, the scorching heat continues in British Columbia, along with the ongoing wildfire season.
The BC Wildfire Service has reported a significant increase in lightning strikes across the province, with over 1,000 recorded on Sunday alone, predominantly in the Cariboo region. This surge follows a previous tally of nearly 4,400 lightning strikes over Friday and Saturday, concentrated mainly in the Cariboo and Coastal areas.
Currently, there are approximately 165 active fires blazing across British Columbia, with 27 new fires igniting within the past 24 hours. Alarmingly, around 75% of these wildfires were sparked by lightning strikes.
Experts warn that the recent spike in lightning activity over the weekend raises the likelihood of more wildfires being identified in the coming days. The BC Wildfire Service attributes this increased risk to a recent unprecedented 10-day heatwave, which saw temperatures soaring 5 to 6 degrees above seasonal averages, rendering the land highly susceptible to ignition.
Notably, in the Kamloops Fire Region, a new blaze, the Mine Creek wildfire (K61891), has emerged approximately 44km northeast of Hope, visible to drivers along the Coquihalla Highway between Hope and Merritt. Although currently out of control and covering 105 hectares, the fire poses no immediate threat to structures or roads, burning vigorously but away from the highway.