A map released by the BC Wildfire Service on Wednesday shows where lightning struck on July 31, contributing to 132 new wildfires.
A map released by the BC Wildfire Service on Wednesday shows where lightning struck on July 31, contributing to 132 new wildfires.
The BC Wildfire Service says lightning strikes in the province's Interior have sparked more fires, with 132 flaring up on July 31. The service is currently responding to a total of 305 fires.

Emergency BC issued evacuation alerts Wednesday for several rural properties on the south side of Quesnel Lake near Williams Lake. An evacuation alert remains in effect for Cawston and Keremeos in B.C.'s Similkameen region.

Evacuation alerts are issued to give residents time to prepare for a possible evacuation order.

The B.C. government has issued a smoky skies bulletin for the province, and Metro Vancouver Regional District has warned of poor air quality in the eastern part of the region and the Fraser Valley. For Metro Vancouver, air quality is expected to improve as the weather cools down this week.