Shorter days and morning dew are helping dampen wildfire activity, but the risk of forest fires remains heading into September as hot, dry conditions could persist.

“We’re not out of the woods yet,” said Sarah Budd, an information officer with the B.C. Wildfire Service.

Of chief concern are underlying drought conditions, particularly in the central and southern Interior of the province, where, aside from a period of late-August precipitation, rain has been scarce for most of the summer.

The subtropical system that came up from the United States on Aug. 22 caused 11,500 lightning strikes across the southern third of the province. Budd said those strikes sparked 147 new fires within 72 hours. Fortunately, as of press time, 131 of the blazes were either under control, being held, or out.

Many of the province’s wildfires are still classified as out of control, with four major fires causing the most concern. These include the Big Bar fire near Clinton, the Pear Lake fire in the Cariboo, the Bald Range fire near Summerland, and the Ainslie Creek and Brunswick Creek fires in the Fraser Canyon.

“There’s still some challenges on that incident [Big Bar],” said Budd. “It is our largest fire in the province this year.”

In the Nicola Valley, cooler temperatures and higher humidity helped tame the Ainslie Creek fire, prompting the Thompson-Nicola Regional District to lift an evacuation alert for some 620 properties. However, an alert remains in place for about 280 properties, while an evacuation order continues to affect just under 60 properties southwest of Merritt.

The Quilpituk Creek fire northwest of Kelowna has been declared under control, allowing an evacuation alert in the area to be lifted. Meanwhile, all remaining evacuation alerts around Peachland have been rescinded after the B.C. Wildfire Service determined the threat posed by the Bald Range fire had passed.

“We’re feeling very confident there,” said Budd.

While cooler weather did provide a reprieve, Budd warned that conditions can quickly change as the calendar turns to September. The benefits of fall include earlier sunsets, cooler nights and morning dew.

However, with drought conditions like those the region is experiencing, fire fuels can dry out quickly and be quick to burn should a fire spark, she said.

“We would need to see several consistent days of precipitation to start to see a change in their condition,” Budd said.

Without access to a crystal ball, Budd hesitates to make a prediction for what September will bring to the fire situation. With the potential for a Super El Nino, there could be a long, hot, and dry spell ahead.

“Our fuels are dry enough that they are still susceptible to ignition when we’ve got lightning coming through with precipitation,” she said.

Anyone who spots a wildfire while outdoors is asked to call *5555 from a cell phone or 1-800-663-5555 from any phone, or report it through the B.C. Wildfire Service app. Photos submitted through the app can help crews assess the situation, which Budd said are very helpful for crews attacking these fires.