The number of wildfires in British Columbia continues to swell as thousands of lightning strikes hit the province due to persisting hot and dry weather.

The BC Wildfire Service says about 140 wildfires were burning across the province as of Sunday morning, a sharp rise from the 68 last Wednesday.

The wildfire service says more than 75 per cent of the active blazes were caused by lightning.

The service’s latest situational report says nearly 4,400 lightning strikes were recorded across B.C. on Friday and Saturday, mostly in the Cariboo and Coastal regions.

The Cariboo Regional District has issued an evacuation order for more than 62 square kilometres of land near the Tsetzi Lake area due to an out-of-control wildfire.

The district says people need to leave the region by travelling nort

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