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Heat warnings in B.C. as temperature records fall, wildfire fight continues

Communities under a heat warning: Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Tumbler Ridge, Terrace
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Hot spots from the Lower East Adams Lake wildfire burn in Scotch Creek, B.C., on Sunday, August 20, 2023. As Canada struggles through its worst fire season in recorded history, a new survey suggests protecting forests remains one issue that unites most Canadians no matter who they are or where they live.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck

Persistent heat is expected to continue today in parts of British Columbia as the province continues to battle almost 400 active wildfires.

Environment Canada says several communities in northern B.C. are facing heat warnings, with daily high temperatures predicted to reach in excess of 30 degrees.

Communities currently under a heat warning include Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, Dawson Creek, Tumbler Ridge and Terrace.

According to Environment Canada data, Fort Nelson is expected to reach 32 C again today after breaking its historic high temperature for Aug. 27 at 32.4 C.

Historic daily high temperature records were also broken Sunday at Fort St. John (28.8 C) and Terrace (30.2 C), with the heat expected to reach or exceed 30 degrees in those communities today.

Wildfire smoke has also led to large swaths of British Columbia being placed under air quality advisories, which cover Metro Vancouver, much of Vancouver Island and communities such as Whistler, Kamloops, Kelowna, Golden, Fernie, Quesnel, Prince George and Smithers.

Firefighters had said that they were anticipating potentially more challenging weather conditions this week after last week brought heavy rainfall to the Okanagan and Shuswap regions, helping crews turn the corner on a number of major blazes.

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