Smoke from hundreds of wildfires darkens skies over B.C.

Hundreds of wildfires burning across B.C. have blanketed large areas of the province in smoke.

Over the weekend nearly 150 new fires were sparked by lightning strikes as a storm system passed over the province, raising the total number of wildfires burning across B.C. to around 600.

As a result Environment Canada has extended a special air quality statement for most of the southern half of the province.

The smoke is at its worst in the Okanagan region and Castlegar in the West Kootenay, where conditions are rated 10+ on a scale of one to 10.

While the southern portion of the province received some rain over the weekend, northern regions were not so lucky, said B.C. Wildfire Service chief information officer Kevin Skrepnek.

“Unfortunately, we are not seeing a lot of relief in sight from the weather,” Skrepnek said.

Across the province hundreds of people have been ordered to evacuate their homes because of the threat of forest fires. Thousands more have been warned they must be ready to leave their homes if conditions worsen.

One of the most affected areas is the central B.C. community of Quesnel where thousands of residents are under an evacuation alert.