As a wildfire season that's already seen more than 2,700 blazes and cost British Columbia about five times its forest firefighting budget enters September, fire officials are making changes to ensure exhausted crews get a little more time to rest.
"We have a maximum number of days that personnel are allowed to work, and then they're required to take days off," said Kim Steinbart, a fire information officer with the B.C. Forest Service.
Steinbart said fire personnel typically work for 14 days and then take three off.
"We're actually decreasing that a little bit now so we're more like 10 days on, depending on how much they've been working and what they're doing," she said.
"At this point in the summer everyone's been working hard since the end of April and endurance isn't what it was back then. You just can't sustain what you could earlier in the season."
About 3,000 fire personnel are currently deployed across the province. Approximately 450 of them reside outside B.C.
Fire crews were busy Monday tackling more than 400 wildfires that are currently raging throughout the province.
Steinbart said there were no significant changes to any of the half dozen fires that have been threatening nearby communities.
"We have seen nothing significant on the fires, which is good, so we're chipping away, making progress," she said.
"The weather's looking like by Thursday we'll start to see a cooling trend that should last into the long-term, the long-term being 10 days."
That's good news for some British Columbians who've been forced from their homes.
About 125 residents of the town of Pritchard, near Kamloops, remain on evacuation order because of the 14-square-kilometre Martin Mountain fire. The blaze is about 40 per contained.
"We have 95 firefighters working on it with five helicopters, air tankers, and as well, we've got seven local fire departments helping us out," said Ellie Dupont, a fire information officer.
Dupont said at one point, the Martin Mountain flames came within 500 metres of a home.
While conditions remained hot and dry Monday, Dupont said crews did receive some help from the weather.
"At least the winds are light," she said. "Any time there's heavy winds it's a problem but for the last few days, it hasn't been that bad."
About 60 properties have also been evacuated near the Interior town of Clinton, where the Kelly Creek fire has grown to about 185 square kilometres.
The Kelly Creek fire was first discovered on Aug. 1 and is believed to have been caused by a lightning strike.
Crews conducted a successful burnoff at the fire site Monday, but the fire is not at all contained.
An evacuation order remains in effect due to the Lava Canyon fire, west of Williams Lake and in the province's Cariboo region.
The Lava Canyon blaze is estimated at 55 square kilometres and is about 35 per cent contained.
Crews spent part of Monday installing sprinkler protection units to protect against falling ash and embers.
An evacuation alert remains in place for residents affected by the Notch Hill fire near Sorrento, but the Thompson-Nicola Regional District says the blaze remained relatively calm Monday.
The Notch Hill fire spans about 17 square kilometres and is about 25 per cent contained.
Residents affected by the Community Lake Plateau wildfire, near Kamloops, received good news Monday, as an evacuation alert that had been put in place for residents was partly rescinded after the fire showed little movement overnight.
Crews worked on the Community Lake Plateau fire's north and south flanks Monday, dropping retardent on both sides. The steep terrain has made it difficult for crews to access the area on foot.
An evacuation alert remains in place for residents affected by the Intlpam fire, between Lytton and Lillooet. That fire is about 75 per cent contained and some of its resources have been redeployed to higher priority fires.
