The Bald Range wildfire burning near Summerland has grown to more than 17,800 hectares as British Columbia enters a period of elevated fire danger driven by heat wind and dry lightning.
Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said Tuesday morning that 102 wildfires are currently active across the province. Since the start of the season 904 fires have scorched roughly 390,000 hectares.
Lightning risk rises in the Interior and Okanagan
Forecasters are warning of a high potential for new lightning caused starts on Tuesday particularly in the central Interior and the Okanagan where limited precipitation and dry lightning are expected. Elevated temperatures and strong wind gusts will persist in the Okanagan and southeastern regions increasing the likelihood of extreme fire behaviour.
Officials are especially concerned about smaller fires burning in steep terrain where alignment of wind and slope can cause rapid acceleration.
Season totals climb
The 390,000 hectares burned so far this year already exceeds the ten year average for this point in the season. Crews continue to prioritize containment on the largest incidents while preparing for the potential surge in new starts over the coming days.
Based on reporting by Global News.