The heat is building again in British Columbia after days of rainfall and cooler temperatures tempered fire behaviour across the province.
Early Thursday, Environment and Climate Change Canada issued heat warnings for many parts of southern B.C., including much of the Okanagan, the Kootenays, the North and South Thompson, and eastern Vancouver Island.
A strong ridge of pressure is building over the area, with daytime highs expected to reach into the high 30s in Interior areas and the high 20s on eastern Vancouver Island, the weather agency’s warning said.
Temperatures of about 35 C in cities including Kelowna and Invermere are expected to last through the weekend, it says.
The heat will renew concerns for firefighting crews who gained some reprieve with the recent cool spell.
As of Thursday morning almost 340 wildfires were still active in the province, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service, with 40 per cent of them regarded as out of control.
Six are still regarded as wildfires of note, a designation that means they are highly visible, or pose a threat to public safety.
Two of those fires are burning on the eastern shore of Slocan Lake in the West Kootenay, where a large swath of land, including the entire community of Slocan, remains under evacuation order.
About 90 per cent of the currently active wildfires were started by lightning, according to the BCWS.
As of noon on Thursday, the campfire ban for the northern half of the province is being rescinded, though campers are being urged to exercise caution when setting and maintaining fires.
Natural Resources Canada says it expects warmer than average temperatures and drought conditions to happen more often as the climate changes, increasing the frequency and size of wildfires.