Hundreds of British Columbians remain under evacuation order Tuesday, even as cooler and wetter conditions across the province are expected to reduce wildfire behaviour.
The B.C. Wildfire Service (BCWS) says rain and cooler temperatures the past week have made it easier to quell fires, though firefighters remain wary of wind and thunderstorms.
More showers and cooler weather were in the forecast for some parts of the province throughout Monday, giving relief from recent hotter and drier conditions that drove up fire intensity across B.C.
Emergency Preparedness and Climate Readiness Minister Bowinn Ma and Forests Minister Bruce Ralston are scheduled to provide an update on the province’s wildfire situation on Tuesday morning. CBC News will carry the livestream, which is expected to begin at 11:30 a.m. PT.
Early Tuesday, the BCWS listed about 350 active wildfires, with 44 declared out in the past 24 hours, while six new ones have ignited. More than 1,500 personnel are on the ground fighting fires, the service says.
Wildfires around Slocan Lake
The village of Slocan in the West Kootenay, home to about 380 people, remains under evacuation order as several out-of-control wildfires burn nearby.
Two of those,the Aylwin Creek and and Komonko Creek wildfires, are regarded as wildfires of note — meaning they are highly visible or pose a potential threat to public safety.
As of Tuesday morning, Highway 6 along Slocan Lake remains closed in both directions for a nearly 40-kilometre stretch, from around 11 kilometres south of Slocan to New Denver, according to DriveBC.
Further north, Highway 16 remains closed east of the Mount Robson Visitor Centre due to wildfire activity around Jasper, Alta., the traffic service said.
Wildfires of note
Four other wildfires of note continue to burn in B.C.
Two in southeastern B.C., the Dogtooth Forest Service Road fire near Golden and the Argenta Creek fire north of Kaslo, are burning across about 54 square kilometres and 147 square kilometres, respectively.
The Shetland Creek wildfire, about 70 kilometres west of Kamloops, has grown to nearly 250 square kilometres.
In the Cariboo Fire Centre, the Antler Creek wildfire is nearly 143 square kilometres.