Fire

B.C. land and wildlife experts warn recovery from increasingly intense wildfires can take years, requiring extensive restoration, funding and forest management.

The BC Wildfire Service said five active wildfires were burning in the North Island and had all been triggered by lightning in mid-August.

The ban will be rescinded throughout the Coastal Fire Centre’s jurisdiction, which includes Vancouver Island and the Sunshine Coast, as of noon Thursday.

All active wildfires on Vancouver Island are being held or are under control as of noon Aug. 31, according to the BC Wildfire Service.

B.C.'s provincial state of emergency over wildfires ended Thursday, though officials warned the fire risk remains high.

B.C.'s provincial state of emergency over wildfires ended Thursday, though officials warned the fire risk remains high.

As of noon Friday, Aug. 28, the prohibition on all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles and off-road side-by-side vehicles on Crown land outside municipal boundaries is no longer in effect.

B.C. has extended its provincial state of emergency until Aug. 29 as wildfire risks remain high across the province.

Summerland expects to downgrade its final evacuation orders Friday, allowing residents of about 80 properties to return to a wildfire-damaged area where electricity may not be fully restored until Wednesday, chief administrative officer Graham Statt said.