40 new wildfires in B.C. within 24 hours

The BC Wildfire Service reports that the province is currently managing 117 active wildfires, with over 40 of them igniting within the past 24 hours.

These new fires are mainly located in the southern half of the province, particularly between Whistler and Pemberton, as well as on Fairview Mountain near Cawston.

A cluster of small fires has popped up in the Sea to Sky region, with some of the new starts north of Squamish, and another cluster near Pemberton and Whistler.

Rain has been assisting in the efforts to control the Fairview Mountain fire, which is under a hectare in size and is believed to be lightning-caused.

The Lower Similkameen Indian Band confirms that crews are working to manage the situation, with heli-tankers taking action on the fire.

The fire is not currently posing any significant threat.

In the meantime, the Sailor Bar wildfire is continuing to burn out of control and has reached a size of 111 hectares. The blaze was discovered on Saturday, August 23.

The Spuzzum First Nation had issued an evacuation alert on Sunday, August 24.

Out of the 117 fires, 51 are considered out of control. Thunderstorms continue to travel through southern BC, potentially adding to the risk of additional wildfires.

Despite the significant increase in fire activity, no new evacuation alerts or orders have been issued.