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VIDEO: B.C. wildfires by the numbers

Wildfires continue to engulf regions of B.C.’s forests and communities.
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Cache Creek on Saturday, July 8 (Twitter - Cst. Julien Ponsioen)

WATCH: Heather Rice, information officer for Gustafsen wildfire near 100 Mile House, explains how firefighters battle certain kinds of fires:

Wildfires in B.C. have set a rapid pace this weekend – most due to lightning and increasing temperatures.

Here’s a few quick facts about the 2017 wildfire season to date:

Total number of fires: 463

Total number of fires since Friday: 183

Notable fires as of Saturday, July 8: Princeton, 100 Mile House, Ashcroft, Williams Lake, Quesnel, Little Fort

Number of evacuation orders as of Saturday, July 8: Cache Creek, 108 Mile House and area, 150 Mile House, Little Fort and part sof Williams Lake are under evacuation orders. Parts of Ashcroft and Williams Lake are on an evacuation alert

Firefighters currently battling blazes: 1,000, supported by heavy equipment and helicopters. An additional 600 personnel were backing them up, plus another 200 contractors. Another 260 firefighters are coming from other parts of Canada.

Total area burned: About 113 square kilometres, or 11,300 hectares – that’s about 18,225 football fields (if each field was .62 hectares in size)

With files from The Canadian Press.

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About the Author: Ashley Wadhwani-Smith

I began my journalistic journey at Black Press Media as a community reporter in my hometown of Maple Ridge, B.C.
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