By Doug Collins/ The Canadian Press

Heat could take toll on wildfires, seniors

Jul 31, 2017 | 7:10 AM

KAMLOOPS —   The fire situation in southern B-C could be about to get a whole lot worse, with lightning in the forecast and no sign of rain.
    Kevin Skrepnek of the B-C Wildfire Service says dry, hot weather with a risk of thunderstorms is bad news for new fires starting.
    About 37-hundred people are still out of their homes thanks to 18 evacuation orders across the province, though that number is down significantly from the tens of thousands displaced earlier this month.
    There are about 150 fires burning across B-C.

    Meanwhile, B-C’s seniors advocate is encouraging people to look after the elderly as the province heads into a heat wave this week that could see the mercury rise to record-breaking levels.
    Isobel Mackenzie says friends and families should keep an eye on seniors, as Environment Canada issues a series of special weather statements.
    The agency says communities in Metro Vancouver, the south coast and the east side of Vancouver Island could experience temperatures as high as the upper 30s.
    Mackenzie says seniors are more susceptible to dehydration. (Global News)