Thunderstorms have increased the number of blazing wildfires in British Columbia to nearly 420

The B.C. Wildfire Service reported earlier this week that thunderstorms over the weekend caused a surge in fire activity across the province. That brought the total number of active wildfires to more than 400. The service said Tuesday there were 416 blazing fires in the province. including 34 new fires that have sprung up in the last 24 hours. 16 of the fires are of special danger.

"At this time of year, it's pretty typical to see an increase in starts like that over a short period of time, just given we're seeing lots of lightning activity across the province. Fire season isn't over yet, that's for sure," Wildfire Information Specialist Erika Berg shared with the media.

The area of the largest wildfire in the province's history — on the shore of Donny Creek — is nearly 5,831 square kilometers. That's almost twice the area of the city of Vancouver.

Evacuations were announced over the weekend for those whose homes are in the Lake Adams area. On Monday, it was reported that more evacuation orders had been issued for the area. In the Thompson-Nicola Regional District, 85 addressed properties have been placed on alert due to the wildfire, dubbed Bush Creek East. The region also closed access to the lake to recreational boaters, safeguarding them from the risk, as well as ensuring the unimpeded operation of aircraft involved in firefighting efforts on both shores of the lake. Conservation officers and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police are patrolling the area.

Evacuation orders are in effect in the Thompson-Nicola and Columbia Shuswap regional counties due to fires burning on opposite shores of Adams Lake: Lower East Adams Lake and Bush Creek East. Meanwhile, in the city of Princeton, an entire Under the Stars Music Festival, attended by about a thousand people over the weekend, had to be evacuated because of a wildfire. The fire in question is the Rice Road fire, which is burning about 11 kilometers northwest of Princeton. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police said the fire broke out Sunday when an ATV caught fire near the village of Coalmont, 20 kilometers from Princeton.

The wildfire is reported to be less than a kilometer in size. And although it can be seen even from Princeton and nearby areas, it does not threaten any buildings. It is also noted that no one has become a victim of this fire.

Northwestern B.C. lifted a state of emergency in the sparsely populated Stikine region Monday because people and structures are no longer at risk of wildfire." The state of emergency had been in effect for a month.

Centers have been set up across B.C. to assist anyone evacuated from communities threatened by wildfires.