Overview

• BC Wildfire Service reports about 140 active fires as of Saturday, up from 68 mid-week, with roughly 50 burning out of control.
• Roughly 80% of current blazes are attributed to lightning following dry thunderstorms across southern British Columbia.
• Dozens of new starts were logged over the past day, with notable clusters northwest of Whistler and Pemberton and in the northwest Cariboo.
• Smoke has spread across much of the south, prompting a special air quality statement for the Chilcotin, where residents are advised to limit time outdoors.
• Bamfield Main Road remains closed over a 1.5-kilometre stretch for hazard remediation and BC Hydro repairs, and forecasters expect lightning risk to ease Sunday even as hot, dry fuels persist.