B.C. officials warn of extreme wildfire conditions amid record dryness

British Columbia wildfire officials say parts of the province are facing extremely dangerous fire conditions because of unusually dry fuel and strong winds. Cliff Chapman, director of provincial operations for the B.C. Wildfire Service, said the province has not seen fuel dryness like this before, and that wind gusts of 85 to 100 km/h helped drive the rapid spread of the Bradley Creek fire west of Vernon. The fire is believed to have destroyed up to 230 homes and had grown to 2,852 hectares after being discovered on Friday. Officials said there were 120 active wildfires in B.C. as of Tuesday morning, including 15 that started in the previous 24 hours. More than 1,000 personnel are involved in wildfire response efforts, and reinforcements have arrived from Mexico, with additional crews expected from Mexico and Australia later in the week. Emergency officials also said 37 evacuation orders and 37 evacuation alerts were in place, affecting thousands of people and properties. With hot, dry weather expected to continue and no rain in the forecast, officials urged residents to stay prepared and follow evacuation instructions quickly if conditions change.