British ColumbiaEnvironment and Climate Change Canada has issued heat warnings for large portions of southwest B.C. as wildfire fighters expect challenging conditions to begin Sunday.Officials advising people to take precautions, as temperatures could exceed 35 C in some areasAkshay Kulkarni · CBC News · Posted: Aug 10, 2025 4:51 PM EDT | Last Updated: 6 hours agoThe Wesley Ridge fire on Vancouver Island is burning in an area covered by a heat warning. (Submitted by B.C. Wildfire Service)Forecasters maintained heat warnings for regions of southern B.C. on Sunday, with high temperatures expected at least until Tuesday and residents being told to take precautions.As of Sunday afternoon, the heat warnings covered the inland and eastern sections of Vancouver Island, as well as the Howe Sound, Whistler and Pemberton areas in the Sea-to-Sky region.Maximum temperatures are expected to exceed 30 C through Tuesday in those regions as well as in the North Thompson.In the Fraser Canyon, South Thompson, and South Okanagan regions, the maximum temperatures are expected to be between 35 C and 37 C, and overnight lows are expected to be around 18 C to 20 C, according to forecasters.”Even though this is not affecting … large population centres in [the] Lower Mainland, we know that it is summer, it’s vacation time in schools, lots of people will be travelling,” said Dr. Maulik Baxi, a medical health officer at the Fraser Health Authority.”So while it may not be affecting where you live, it may be affecting where you go. And so be aware.”Heat warnings are in place for several regions of southern B.C. Although Metro Vancouver, pictured, isn’t currently under a warning, the public should generally avoid high temperatures, stay cool and check on people who could be at risk of getting a heat-prone illness. (Ben Nelms/CBC)Baxi advised people to check on vulnerable people who may be more at risk of getting a heat-prone illness, such as young infants, seniors, pregnant people and anyone with disabilities.People should avoid the heat of the day as much as possible, and stay cool by opening windows at night, when heat can build up inside homes, he said.”Be a good neighbour, you know, and take care of one another.” Wildfire evacuees could return MondayThe Wesley Ridge wildfire on Vancouver Island is in an area covered by a heat warning.On Sunday, officials said there could be increased smoke in the region as temperatures rise, and warm and dry conditions persist until midweek.The blaze is burning over an area of 590 hectares on the north shore of Cameron Lake, approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Nanaimo.Hundreds of people have been out of their homes for over a week due to the blaze, which is suspected to have been caused by human activity.”Ground crews have made excellent progress in suppressing fire activity in residential areas, and are now advancing to establish containment to the north, western and eastern flanks where the fire is burning in steep terrain,” fire information officer Madison Dahl said in a Sunday morning news conference.Heat could cause increased smoke in and around the area affected by the Wesley Ridge wildfire, approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Nanaimo. (Anaïs Elboujdaïni/CBC)Just under 300 properties are on evacuation orders due to the blaze on Vancouver Island, which means residents have been told to leave immediately. The evacuation order also covers Little Qualicum Falls Provincial Park.A further 353 addresses are on evacuation alert, which means residents are expected to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice.The Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) said the evacuation order could be downgraded for properties south of Warn Way on Monday.Lisa Grant, the RDN’s emergency operations director, said on Saturday that the downgrade would mean most residents would be able to go home and just under 40 properties would remain on evacuation order.”Our goal is to try and have a return on Monday, but again, that is subject to change and conditions,” Grant said Sunday.”It’s something that we’re actively working towards and monitoring, but of course we want to try and get people back into their homes as soon as possible.”ABOUT THE AUTHORAkshay Kulkarni is an award-winning journalist who has worked at CBC British Columbia since 2021. Based in Vancouver, he is most interested in data-driven stories. You can email him at akshay.kulkarni@cbc.ca.
Heat warnings continue for southern B.C. and Vancouver Island
