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Cooler Weather Takes Edge Off New Wildfires In B.C. Says Wildfire Service

The Canadian Press, 22 Jul, 2015 12:05 PM

KAMLOOPS, B.C. — Forty-five new wildfires were sparked in British Columbia on Tuesday, but an official with the Wildfire Management Branch notes the picture is not as bleak as it could be.

Fire information officer Ryan Turcot says cooler, unsettled conditions have had a slightly moderating effect.

He says the latest fires are not as aggressive as those sparked Monday, but adds gusty winds are complicating fire fighting efforts in southern B.C.

Turcot says most of the new fires are concentrated in the Kamloops and Southeast fire centres.

There are seven evacuation alerts or orders in place for residents near B.C. fire lines, including an order for those who live in 70 homes near the Westside Road fire outside West Kelowna where a fire that flared Monday is spreading uncontrolled.

Statistics show 1,292 blazes recorded this season, pushing firefighting costs to $136-million, with bills mounting daily.

Flames have charred 2,950-square kilometres of bush and timber across B.C., since the forest fire season began in April.

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