A weather system moving across British Columbia is expected to cool, but not kill, the nearly 280 wildfires burning across the tinder dry province.
The B.C. Forestry Service estimates 750 square kilometres of forest have been burned in the past day-and-a-half alone, producing massive clouds of smoke and ash that have made it difficult to approach the blazes and caused air quality problems as far away as Saskatchewan.
Fire Information Officer Gwen Eamer says scattered showers won't be enough to douse huge fires burning in the central and northwestern parts of the province.
Thousands of residents in those regions remain on evacuation order or alert, although no homes have been lost.
Al Richmond, director of the Cariboo regional district, the area south of Prince George where most of the fires are burning, said the fires are taking a toll.
Fencing has been destroyed, wood lots have been scorched and grasslands used by grazing cattle have been eradicated, Richmond said.
"Some of our ranchers are trying to get home to put up their hay -- this is going to affect their feeding for the spring. We also estimated we lost close to $2 million in fencing for the ranges."
On the positive side, Richmond said some residents were allowed to return home on Thursday and fire guards put up along the Fraser River appear to be holding, easing fears the fires could jump the waterway.
"The area on the east side has been reduced from an evacuation order to an order yesterday afternoon. The guards they have put in place have held and there are intense patrols in that area to ensure the fire doesn't jump the river. It hasn't jumped the river and its threat is reduced," he said.
In the Cariboo region, where most of the fires are burning, ash is said to be falling like snow.
The haze in Williams Lake is so bad some hospital patients had to be placed on oxygen.
"It set off our alarm system, in addition to making life difficult for patients, staff and visitors," staff member Wendy Stasica told CTV British Columbia.
The situation is so bad that the Interior Health Authority has turned off external fans at the hospital and is asking all but the most urgent cases to stay away so doors and windows can be kept closed.
Air Quality is rated at 11 on a 10-point scale.
Much of that ash, along with smoke, is being blown to the east across Alberta. Weather conditions are reportedly pushing the smoke and ash low to the ground, where it is causing respiratory problems in some residents.
B.C.'s Environment Ministry says the health risk to anyone with respiratory problems is very high
With files from The Canadian Press
