Air quality poor in parts of B.C. as more than 200 wildfires burn across province

Air quality alerts remain in place for several areas in B.C.’s southern Interior on Tuesday as more than 200 wildfires continue to burn through hundreds of square kilometres of the province.

Environment Canada said parts of the Okanagan Valley and Thompson-Nicola region will be worst affected, with a haze expected to hang over the regions for the next few days.

A dangerous heat wave has added to the weather woes in several locations, including the Fraser Canyon, where the community of Lytton was wiped out by fire last week after setting record-high temperatures.

Fire risk across the majority of B.C. is rated as high, with pockets of extreme risk in the Okanagan.

The wildfire service says 213 active wildfires were burning in B.C. as of Tuesday morning, with at least 37 sparked over the previous two days.

Evacuation orders are in place for five of those wildfires, including one near Lytton that covered 76 square kilometres but didn’t grow significantly on Sunday or Monday.

The Thompson-Nicola Regional District said it’s planning a bus tour for evacuees from the village to survey the damage.

Debbie Sell of the district’s emergency operations centre said a date has not been set because it’s still too dangerous to enter the area, but she says everything is ready to go once it is safe. 

Anyone placed under an evacuation order must leave the area immediately. 

Evacuation centres have been set up throughout the province to assist anyone evacuating from a community under threat from a wildfire. To find the centre closest to you, visit the Emergency Management BC website.

Evacuees are encouraged to register with Emergency Support Services online, whether or not they access services at an evacuation centre.

Those looking for loved ones can contact the Canadian Red Cross for family reunification services at 1-800-863-6582.