B.C. wildfire season extending into fall until stormier weather arrives

The BC Wildfire Service says fire season is expected to continue into the fall in British Columbia as risks for new blazes remain for much of the province.

The service’s seasonal outlook says the risk is especially high in the Cariboo region and the southwestern Interior.

It says thunderstorms and lightning tend to decrease as fall arrives, but terrain remains dry and susceptible to human-caused fires.

It says the wildfire danger rating is unlikely to be lowered until seasonal patterns shift to a fall-like pattern of stormier weather that brings substantial rainfall to the Prince George and Kamloops fire centres.

B.C. has seen a late-summer heat wave this week, with daily temperature records falling in both coastal and Interior communities.

The Wildfire Service says there are about 12