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By Corey Fischer
New Starts Holdover Lightning Fires

Holdover Lightning Fires Add To Numbers

Aug 20, 2018 | 5:27 PM

The weather has been cooler — but that so far hasn’t been enough to put much of a damper on BC’s wildfire situation.

Kyla Fraser with the BC Wildfire Service has the latest numbers.

“We’re continuing to see quite a lot of fire activity right across BC. Currently there are just under 550 fires burning across the province, and since Friday, we’ve seen 42 new fire starts,” says Fraser, an information officer.

Fraser says some of the newer starts have been holdover lightning fires.

“In certain conditions, lighting can strike the ground, and it can smoulder under ground until the temperatures increase or it becomes dry enough that it will result in a new fire.”

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In terms of the Kamloops Fire Centre, there are 86 fires burning, with no new ones over the weekend, but ten new starts Monday.

“What we need to see right is a prolonged period of rain to relieve the situation and unfortunately that’s not in the forecast right now,” adds Fraser.

Photo courtesy of BC Wildfire Service

by Corey Fischer

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