Wildfire smoke blanketing parts of B.C. prompts air quality warning

VANCOUVER -

Much of central and eastern British Columbia is under a special weather bulletin warning of smoky skies, as hundreds of wildfires rage out of control in the province.

Environment Canada issued the special air quality statement, warning of the smoke for the next few days in areas stretching from the Interior north to Yukon and east to the Alberta boundary.

Four areas in the province also remain under a heat warning, including the Fraser Canyon where the village of Lytton was destroyed by fire last month, with daytime highs predicted of up to 38 C.

The BC Wildfire Service says much of the central part of the province is at extreme risk of wildfires with more than 300 fires burning, two dozen of which are highly visible or pose a potential threat to public safety.

Wildfires have also forced closures of major highways in the province, including Highway 97 north of 70 Mile House, and Highway 20 in the Anahim Lake region.

The province is asking residents to remain cautious and be responsible in preventing possible fires, after the wildfire service, RCMP and Kamloops Fire responded to five suspicious blazes Tuesday night, all believed to have been human-caused.