The number of wildfires burning in British Columbia has more than doubled in the past week after a stretch of hot, dry weather and thunderstorms that produced more than 67,000 lightning strikes. There are more than 130 active fires in B.C., up from about 60 a week ago, though the BC Wildfire Service says cooler temperatures, scattered showers and a decrease in thunderstorm activity would help firefighting efforts this week. There is one so-called wildfire of note, the Wesley Ridge blaze discovered last Thursday near Cathedral Grove, a renowned old-growth forest east of Port Alberni. The out-of-control blaze spans just over five square kilometres, with the latest update from the wildfire service saying helicopters equipped with night-vision technology worked overnight to dump water on hot spots. The service says crews…
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