Five out of 14 wildfires burning in B.C. deemed out of control

Andrew Johnson has more on the intense boot camp in Merrit, B.C., to train and prepare Canadian firefighters ahead of this summer’s wildfire season.

The British Columbia Wildfire Service says five wildfires are currently burning out of control in the province.

It says four of those fires were started Wednesday, including one southwest of Grand Forks in B.C.’s southern Interior that is an estimated 2.5 hectares in size.

Fire information officer Aydan Coray says the Grand Forks fire department initially responded but later requested the wildfire service’s help as the blaze began spreading into the grass and the surrounding area.

Coray says seven wildfire service staff as well as air tankers are aiding in the response and nothing was imminently threatened as of Wednesday evening, adding that the cause is under investigation.

There are a total of 14 active fires listed as burning across the province, including one that is classified as “being held” and eight that are listed as “under control” on the service’s dashboard.

It says that as of April 1, there have been 56 wildfires sparked in the province, 93 per cent of which were human-caused.

Two of the out-of-control blazes are located in the Southeast Fire Centre, while the Kamloops Fire Centre, Cariboo Fire Centre and Prince George Fire Centre each have one fire listed as burning out of control on the dashboard.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 22, 2026.