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Multiple early season wildfires burning in B.C.’s Cariboo and Prince George regions

Wildfire season is off to an early start in British Columbia’s central Interior and Cariboo regions, with at least one fire listed as out of control and continuing to grow in the Quesnel area.

The B.C. Wildfire Service reported multiple wildfires south of Quesnel and east of Vanderhoof over the weekend as dry conditions helped fuel the blazes.

The largest of the fires is the Burgess Creek wildfire, which expanded to 16 square kilometres Sunday afternoon after being discovered on Saturday.

The Wildfire Service said the Burgess Creek wildfire is located about five kilometres northwest of Ben Lake and 45 kilometres south of Quesnel and is listed as out of control.

Firefighters are in the area supported by heavy equipment and aircraft, the Wildfire Service said.

There are currently no evacuation orders or alerts associated with the Burgess Creek wildfire, said the Wildfire Service.

The Prince George Fire Centre is reporting two wildfires about four kilometres east of Vanderhoof.

The Wildfire Service is reporting 113 active wildfires in B.C., and as of Sunday afternoon, six of them had erupted within the past 24 hours.

The B.C. government said last year’s wildfire season was the most destructive in the province’s history as more than 2.84 million hectares of forest and land burned and tens of thousands of people were forced to evacuate.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 21, 2024.