Lightning strikes ignite more than a dozen new wildfires on Vancouver Island

A thunderstorm has caused 18 new wildfires on Vancouver Island within the past 24 hours.

Vancouver Island and the mid-coast have seen 2,602 lighting strikes between that time period.

“Most of these fires are considered backcountry fires, not threatening any values and burning in extreme terrain,” said Kimberly Kelly a fire information officer with the Coastal Fire Centre.

No new evacuation orders or alerts have been declared as a result of the new fires.

Lightning can cause issues days after a thunderstorm passes, through a phenomenon known as a “holdover fire.”

“We can see smouldering almost immediately if the ignition has started, but we can also see these holdover fires,” says Kelly. “They ignite inside a tree, and until those fuels inside that tree have been consumed, we may not see that fire exit and produce (flames) for a considerable amount of time, sometimes days.”

Despite significant amounts of rainfall, Kelly said the fire danger rating is still high and asks the public to remain vigilant.

“We certainly welcome the rain here, it does assist in our operations,” she says. “These drought conditions will persist long into the fall until we see a significant amount of rainfall over a longer duration of time.”

There are now more than 400 wildfires burning across British Columbia.

Twelve of the active wildfires are considered "wildfires of note," meaning they are either highly visible or pose a potential threat to public safety.