Lightning could spike B.C. wildfire activity

A cooling trend in weather around B.C. could spell bad news on the wildfire front.

CityNews Meteorologist Michael Kuss says there’s chance of lightning storms in the Interior.

“The fire danger rating is still high all across southern B.C. and active weather is developing over the next couple of days,” Kuss said, adding gusty winds are also in the forecast.

“It’s not widespread precipitation, but with the rising air and the instability, there’s a good chance for lightning to develop today in the southern Interior, all the way to the Alberta border. More likely tomorrow,” he said Friday.

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Conditions have been very dry and hot as of late. There are currently six “wildfires of note,” according to the BC Wildfire Service, including the Keremeos Creek fire burning southwest of Penticton and is 69.5 km² in size.

Several heat warnings were issued earlier this week, ahead of a two-day heat wave that saw temperatures soar to the mid-30s in some parts of B.C. Most of those warnings are set to end later Friday.