BC Wildfire Service

British Columbia has already spent about $387 million battling fires so far this year, as crews brace for more lightning-caused starts in the coming days, the director of provincial operations for the province's wildfire service said on Tuesday.

An evacuation order issued on Saturday due to out-of-control wildfires south of Valemount, B.C., has been cancelled, as officials thanked the fast action of BC Wildfire Service members who fought to contain the flames.

A government statement says the landslide Wednesday blocked the river that feeds into the Fraser River, and a sudden release of water "may cause rapid rises in river levels downstream along the Fraser River" south to Hope, B.C.

The historic town says in a news release that its programs will resume, though guests may see "elevated smoke" and its campgrounds, cottages and guest houses will remain closed until about mid-August.

British Columbia's minister of emergency management is scheduled to give an update on the wildfire situation today as some areas in the province cool off while others flare.

The incident commander in charge of the fight to control six wildfires in British Columbia's Slocan Lake region says changing weather conditions in the area pose a challenge for crews.

Over 250 wildfires are burning in British Columbia as much of the province continues to bake under a heat wave that is expected to last into next week.

Doug Donaldson says the place to start should be a dedicated provincial wildfire strategy that lays out responsibilities for each government ministry, while supporting the participation of local communities, civil society and the forest industry.

The BC Wildfire Service has announced a five-month open fire ban covering much of the province's Interior as fire season gets off to an early start.

Rancher Werner Stump said spring is usually a "season of optimism" for farmers in British Columbia, but worries linger after unprecedented drought last year and another dry season looming.

Over the last 10 years, the average annual wildfire fighting bill has been $498 million, more than twice the amount laid out in the government's budget.

Wildfire fighting and forest management decisions are potentially being hampered by inaccurate government data that misrepresents forest fuel loads in British Columbia's Interior, a new study has found.

Forrest Tower of the BC Wildfire Service said that while it's not uncommon for some fires to burn through the winter, that number usually hovers around a couple dozen, not the 106 that were listed as active on New Year's Day.

To catch up with the threat of worsening fire seasons, B.C. needs to evolve.

The large wildfire that destroyed dozens of homes in West Kelowna, B.C., and was a key front in the province's most devastating fire season on record is now considered "held" after raging out of control since mid-August.