More than a dozen new wildfires sparked over the weekend, B.C. officials say

The B.C. Wildfire Service says wildfire activity over the weekend saw more than a dozen new blazes sparked since Sunday, while gusty winds saw one out-of-control blaze grow and close a highway in Tweedsmuir Provincial Park.

The wildfire service says Highway 20 north of Bella Coola was closed early Sunday evening as the “aggressive” fire near Young Creek swelled to 22 square kilometres.

The service says no evacuation orders have been issued for the fire, but more than a dozen new blazes have been recorded since Sunday.

The Thomson-Nicola Regional District says the Bush Creek East fire near Kamloops is “highly visible,” but no evacuation orders or alerts have been issued even as gusty winds have fanned wildfires around the city.

Environment Canada's forecast for Kamloops says there's a chance of rain and a risk of thunderstorms this afternoon, with many regions in the province under cloudy skies with possible rain on the way, breaking a weeks-long drought.

Metro Vancouver's cloudy skies Monday brought light rain, though drought conditions continue across much of B.C.

As the wildfire situation remains volatile across the province, a working group comprised of members of Public Safety Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces and British Columbia emergency management and wildfire officials are set to meet today.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 17, 2023.