Firefighters are battling three dozen wildfires across the province, ten of which began in the last day.

British Columbia's chief fire information officer, Kevin Skrepnek, told CTV News Thursday morning that crews were working on 36 fires, and the BC Wildfire Service reported another blaze west of 100 Mile House in the afternoon.

The service was called to aid local firefighters in a wildfire burning near the Gustafsen North Forest Service Road, just west of the town. The fire was estimated to be about two hectares in size at 2 p.m., but less than two hours later, it had grown to 140 hectares. By Friday morning, the fire was 500 hectares, although officials said it was difficult to determine the exact size because of all the smoke.

Air tankers, helicopters and dozens of firefighters are on site, and those using Watson Lake are warned that skimmers are reloading in the area.

The Cariboo Regional District Emergency Operations Centre said tactical evacuations are in effect for specific properties, and that further information would be made available on its Facebook page or Twitter feed as details become available.

Updates on the size of the fire are being posted frequently by the BC Wildfire Service.

The cause of the 100 Mile House fire is not yet known, but Skrepnek said most of the fires are likely human-caused, with no reports of lightning in the areas.

"Many of them are still under investigation," he said.

He said firefighters had a "slow spring" in terms of fires, with wet weather lasting well into the season.

"If you're looking at statistics right now, it's below where we were at at this point in 2016, and certainly well below our 10-year average as well," he said.

"So we're concerned that people might be getting a little complacent given that wildfires haven't really been at the top of mind up until this point."

But now that conditions are drying out, wildfires are becoming more common.

One of the ten sparked in the last 24 hours spread across a 15-hectare area in Cherry Creek, just west of Kamloops. The fire destroyed a workshop and damaged a home and vehicle.

Another burned through 115 hectares near Harrison Hot Springs, and was only about five per cent contained by Thursday afternoon.

And on Tuesday, fast-moving flames triggered an evacuation of several properties in Kaleden, near Penticton. The fire destroyed a home and an outbuilding before firefighters were able to get it under control.

Evacuation orders were lifted for 18 properties on Wednesday, but 186 properties remain on alert. Those who don't live in Kaleden are advised to avoid the south end of the community, and the Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen warned that vehicles parked on the street can delay first responders trying to get to the scene of a fire.

"I was told that we lost everything. Driving home was chaotic," said Kaleden resident Larry Richardson.

When Richardson did return to Kaleden, he learned that the flames missed his house, but destroyed his neighbour's. He and his wife defied an evacuation order, staying overnight and dousing the flames alongside fire crews. He said there were around eight to 10 homes that crews were able to save.

Kaleden's fire chief, Dennis Gaudry, said the risk in the area is still extreme: "It doesn't get higher."

The risk is also high in Kamloops, where temperatures reached a scorching 37 C on Thursday.

In Metro Vancouver the risk is moderate, but officials aren't taking any chances.

"Given the activity we're seeing out there, and given the fact that these hot and dry conditions aren't lessening any time soon, that's certainly a concern for us, and that's certainly a reason why you're starting to see campfire bans," Skrepnek said.

Campfire bans put in place across B.C.

The province has issued campfire bans affecting all of Vancouver Island, the province's South Coast and part of the Cariboo region. Skrepnek said the bans may expand into the Kamloops Fire Centre, an area that includes the Okanagan, next week.

Campfire bans in B.C.

In the Coastal region, all open burning including campfires is prohibited as of Thursday at noon, with the exception of Haida Gwaii and the area designated as a "fog zone" on the above map, along the western coast of Vancouver Island.

Open fires have been banned for weeks in the Cariboo area, and a campfire ban came into effect in parts of the fire centre last week. 

On Friday, campfire bans were added for the Southeast fire centre to help prevent human-caused fires and protect public safety.

In the Prince George and Kamloops fire centres, campfires are permitted but larger open fires are restricted. 

The bans affect all B.C. parks, Crown land and private property, and come with a maximum fine of $100,000 and a year in jail. If an illegal fire contributes to a wildfire, the person who started it may be told to cover all firefighting costs.

For areas where there are no bans, BC Parks advises campers keep fires to a size no greater than 0.5 metres by 0.5 metres. Campers should also keep something handy – like water or a shovel – to extinguish the flames if the fire gets out of hand. Fires should be put out before campers leave the site or go to bed, and ashes should be cool to the touch.

There have been 308 wildfires in B.C. this season, Skrepnek said, covering a total span of 1,788 hectares.

Weather contributing to wildfire risk

In a matter of days, much of the province has gone from moderate risk of wildfire to extreme, thanks to higher temperatures and a lack of rain.

"Things are dry and there's no relief in sight," said Environment Canada meteorologist Matt MacDonald.

Along the coastline, temperatures are about four to five degrees above the norm, he said.

"But for the Interior of the province, (it's) definitely a heat wave. We're 10 to 12 degrees warmer than normal."

Temperatures are expected to break records in the Kootenays, with highs approaching 40 C.

Most of the province has not seen much rain since the first half of June, adding to the risk of fire, and MacDonald said there is no significant amount of rain expected for the next two weeks.

"It's a really huge shift. It seems only a few weeks ago we were talking about flooding and the rapid snowmelt," he said.

With reports from CTV Vancouver's Penny Daflos, Ben Miljure, Nafeesa Karim and Sarah MacDonald