©BCWildfireService

Drought, heat and lightning have spurred late-season wildfire activity in British Columbia, with the forests minister saying the risk of new starts and growth remains a “serious issue” and there is no relief in the short-term forecast. Ravi Parmar said the heat is expected to persist through the weekend, with temperatures reaching 10 C above seasonal in some areas. 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, he said. …There are about 150 active wildfires across B.C., with close to 60 classified as burning out of control. There were eight fires burning on Vancouver Island as of Wednesday night, including one discovered earlier in the day west of Parksville and just east of the Wesley Ridge fire. Four of the fires were considered under control and the others were being held.