LADYSMITH, B.C. - Crews are fighting dozens of wildfires as a heat wave scorches British Columbia, including two blazes near the urban centres of Nanaimo and Sechelt.
Officials in Ladysmith, B.C. say crews contained the 20-hectare grass fire south of Nanaimo on Thursday night and planned to reassess the situation on Friday.
At least four homes had to be evacuated and 10 firefighters, two helicopters, two officers and air tankers were called in to help.
Marg Drysdale of the B.C. Wildfire Service says a blaze about 10 kilometres northeast of Sechelt has grown to eight hectares. She says crews don't know the cause yet and are asking people to stay away from the area near an abandoned mine.
Drysdale says there is a cell tower about two kilometres from the fire, but at this time crews don't believe the blaze threatens any structures.
