More Evacuation Orders in BC as Heat Wave Aids Lightning-Triggered Wildfires

Lightning-triggered wildfires over the weekend have prompted a number of evacuation orders and alerts across British Columbia, a situation that has been exacerbated by an ongoing heat wave. The BC Wildfire Service said Sunday that crews are battling more than 300 blazes, with several evacuation orders in effect in both Central and East Kootenay as well as in Thompson-Nicola, Cariboo and Bulkley — Nechako in the northwest. “Fire suppression efforts continue to be challenged due to hot, dry conditions and localized winds,” the wildfire service said in its Sunday update. “A three week heat wave continues, and more hot and dry conditions are expected to continue for most of the province.”...