Streak of hot weather and lightning strikes ignite dozens of wildfires in B.C. Interior

A stretch of hot, dry weather followed by lightning storms ignited dozens of wildfires across the province this week, many of which continue to burn.

As of Saturday afternoon, the B.C. Wildfire Service lists 49active wildfires on its online map.

Almost half of thosewere sparked by lightning,compared to roughly 20 per cent of firesknown tobecausedbylightning so far this year.

On average, though, about 60 per cent of wildfires are sparked by lightning in B.C.

According Environment Canada,there were over 24,000 lightning flashes over B.C. during Thursday's storms.

Many of the lightning-sparked fires are considered "spot fires" because they are less than 0.01 hectares 10 metres by 10 metres and were contained shortly after igniting.

In a 24-hour period between Thursday and Friday,27 new fires flared up across the province including 10in the Kamloops Fire Centre and 14 in the Southeast Fire Centre.

Central Okanagan Emergency Operations issued a warning to residentsFridayas it moved thefire hazardrating to highwith a potential to becomeextreme. Open burning is banned as are fireworks andsmoking in parks and on beaches.

"It didn't take long for the hot, dry weather to see the fire danger rating in the Central Okanagan rise," the EOC noted in a release.

The Kamloops Fire Centre introduced bans earlier this week on fireworks, grass burning and open fires larger than three metres across.

Open burning has not been allowed in the Central Okanagan since April 30.