Several wildfires were sparked in B.C. Saturday and Sunday, the vast majority of which are believed to be human-caused.
The BC Wildfire Service said Sunday evening that in the last 24 hours, only one of the nine fires reported was sparked by lightning.
Human activity is to blame for the other eight, the service said.
Currently the fire risk is rated moderate to high in most of B.C. – conditions usually not seen until later in the season.
Fires triggered a state of emergency Saturday night in the Regional District of Bulkley-Nechako, where residents of the community of Lejac were ordered to leave.
The district chairman told The Canadian Press he's concerned that the wildfire season seems to be getting longer. He said he grew up in the area, and fires typically only occurred in July and August.
In addition, a dry winter and spring means there's a low snowpack, adding to the area's vulnerability.
Another wildfire was burning near Kamloops over the weekend, sending smoke into the air that was visible from highways 1 and 97. A fire information officer confirmed the blaze in Barnhartvale is believed to be human caused.
