Firefighters in British Columbia are anticipating a break in the warmer-than-usual weather on July 25, offering hope for relief in their fight against over 400 wildfires.
The BC Wildfire Service reports that cooler temperatures and rain have moved from the north to the central Interior on July 24, bringing the mercury closer to seasonal averages for the first time in a month.
This favorable weather forecast is allowing crews to make significant progress in containing the fires.
Over the past week, at least 239 fires have been extinguished, and 124 fires have been brought under control.
However, as of late July 24, approximately 260 fires are still burning out of control.
B.C. firefighters have been combatting a surge in wildfires since the weekend, when dry conditions and a heatwave were followed by tens of thousands of lightning strikes, sparking numerous fires.
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Environment Canada is predicting temperatures in the low to mid-20s in parts of the Interior, such as Kamloops, Kelowna, and Lytton, where temperatures reached over 40 C just a few days ago.
In the northern Interior, including Prince George and Williams Lake, temperatures are expected to stay in the mid-teens.
One of the most significant wildfires in the province is the 225-square-kilometer Shetland Creek fire near Spences Bridge, which has damaged approximately 20 structures in the Venables Valley, including at least six homes.
Another notable fire is the four-square-kilometer Aylwin Creek fire south of Silverton in the Central Kootenay, which has prompted an evacuation order for the village and 17 surrounding properties as of late July 24.
On Vancouver Island, the Old Man Lake wildfire continues to burn out of control about nine kilometers north of Sooke.
An update from the BC Wildfire Service indicates that while the fire has grown in unsuppressed areas, it has moved 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,” says Ms. Caranci in an update posted on YouTube.
The Old Man Lake wildfire is burning a few kilometers south of the Sooke Lake Reservoir, which supplies water to around 350,000 people in Greater Victoria, leading to several recreational closures in the area.
