The BC Wildfire Service says winds whipped by a cold front are causing a rapidly expanding wildfire near Golden, B.C., and that could be the case for other fires, even if the front brings rain and cooler weather.
The city of Golden says the 22-square-mile fire on Dogtooth Forest Service Road has already destroyed up to six homes, but assessments are still underway to confirm the damage.
The wildfire service says in its latest update that storms that bring rain can also produce lightning and high winds that temporarily enhance fire behavior.
Although the number of wildfires has decreased with the recent change in temperature, more than 420 fires are still burning in British Columbia.
An evacuation alert has been cancelled for the village of Ashcroft, which was under threat from flames from Shetland Creek, the same fire that has destroyed at least six homes in the Venables Valley.
There are about 60 evacuation alerts and orders across British Columbia, including the Cariboo region, as the 143-square-kilometre Antler Creek wildfire threatens the nearby communities of Wells and Barkerville.
The community of Silverton remains under evacuation orders as the Aylwin Creek Fire burns nearby, closing Highway 6 between New Denver and Slocan. No reopening date has been announced yet.