British Columbia’s forests minister says heat, drought and lightning have spurred late-season wildfire activity, and the risk of new fire starts and growth remains a “serious issue for much of the province” with no relief in the short-term forecast.

Ravi Parmar says high temperatures are expected to persist through the weekend, with temperatures reaching 10 C above seasonal in some areas.

He says there is no significant rain in the forecast for the coming days, and another bout of lightning strikes is expected along B.C.’s coast later this week.

The minister told a news briefing that he could not “stress enough how vigilant people need to be at this time.”

There are about 150 active wildfires across B.C., with close to 60 classified as burning out of control.

Parmar says everyone must

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