What you need to know about B.C. wildfires for Aug. 23

The latest on the wildfires:

• 1,539 fires have been recorded so far this season, with 246 fires currently burning in B.C.
• More than 8,600 square kilometres of land has been scorched by fires thus far, the third most on record.
• The most concerning fires remain burning in the province's Interior.
• Rain is expected to continue falling on the biggest wildfires on Monday, helping firefighters.
• The province has extended the contracts for firefighters from Mexico for another two weeks and crews from Australia will be in B.C. for another week.
• For a full list of evacuation orders and alerts, visit Emergency Information B.C.

Cooler conditions have helped firefighters make some progress against some of the most severe fires burning across the province, according to the B.C. Wildfire Service.

Calmer winds and some light rain have allowed officials to downgrade several evacuation orders, but the service said conditions remain "very dry'' near Kelowna.

Central Okanagan Emergency Operations said firefighters still have their hands full battling blazes like the White Rock Lake wildfire, despite conditions improving over the last two days. The fire has been burning out of control for more than a month and is now more than 800 square kilometres in size.

An evacuation order for more than 1,300 properties and an alert for 850 properties remains in place for those affected by that fire.

Fire officials said they understand residents want to return home, but are asking them to wait until conditions are safer.

The B.C. Wildfire Service said, as of Sunday evening, there were 246 blazes still burning across the province.

The Ministry of Forests said more than 8,600 square kilometres have been burned by wildfires since the start of the fire season, an area roughly three times the size of Metro Vancouver. 

More than 3,900 firefighters are battling fires across the province.

Fire officials said the forecast calls for below-seasonal temperatures this week, which they hope will further improve the wildfire situation in the province.

Orders, alerts downgraded

Several evacuation orders were downgraded over the weekend, though 63 remain still in place.

Kevin Skrepnek, emergency program co-ordinator for the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, said his team was busy downgrading evacuation alerts and orders over the weekend, including orders for the Lower Nicola region and East Bonparte Lake. A further 656 properties in the district were told they could return home on Friday.

"Things are definitely moving in the right direction," he told CBC Daybreak Kamloops host Shelley Joyce on Monday morning. 

"[The] weather has definitely taken the edge off in terms of the fire activity we've been seeing."

But while he says emergency operations officials are breathing a sigh of relief today, he added that it's only mid-August and the weather could change again. 

Fire crews

Many members of B.C.'s wildfire crews are students and will be returning to school in September, but as conditions improve in other areas of Canada, crews from outside the province will be more available to help here if needed, officials said on Sunday.

The province has extended the contracts for firefighters from Mexico for another two weeks and crews from Australia will be in B.C. for another week.

On Friday, this year's season officially became the third most destructive on record in terms of area burned. The worst wildfire seasons in B.C.'s history were 2018, with nearly 13,550 square kilometres burned, and 2017, which saw more than 12,160 square kilometres lost.

• We're answering your questions about climate change and the federal election. Send yours to ask@cbc.ca, and we'll answer as many as we can leading up to election day. 

READ MORE:

• B.C.'s wildfires have vacationers cancelling reservations for accommodations with companies like Airbnb, but partial refunds are leaving some travellers frustrated.
• A Lower Mainland-based cat rescue society helped find homes for 130 cats displaced by fires burning near Merritt in the Interior.
• Backcountry enthusiasts are noticing, first hand, the effects of climate change as wildfires, heat waves and flooding forced over 30 provincial parks to shut their doors this summer.
• Elections Canada says it is already preparing for contingency plans as voting in next month's federal election continues to be a concern for wildfire evacuees.

Anyone placed under an evacuation order should 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 B.C. website.

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

Do you have a story to share?

If you've been affected by the B.C. wildfires and want to share your story, email us at cbcnewsvancouver@cbc.ca.