The BC Wildfire Service has been extinguishing blazes faster than new ones are cropping up in recent days, thanks to cooler and wetter weather in much of the province. 

The service said Saturday (July 27) that fire risk indices have decreased in many regions, reducing activity on some major blazes. 

As of Sunday morning, 372 fires are burning, an overall drop of about 60 from early last week. In the last 24 hours, five new wildfires have been discovered, but BC Wildfire has put out another 33. 

That decrease doesn't mean wildfires aren't continuing to cause evacuation orders and alerts, however.

The in and around Slocan were told late Saturday afternoon that they had to pack up and leave by 8 a.m. Sunday. They're threatened by numerous wildfires, the most dangerous of which is the Komonko Creek Wildfire. It was found on July 19 and has since grown to 2,288 hectares.

The blaze is one of six that has been classified as a wildfire of note, meaning it is especially visible or poses a threat to the public.

The five others include: The 14,293-hectare Antler Creek Wildfire, which currently has evacuation alerts in place around Wells and Barkerville; the 5,445-hectare Dogtooth FSR Wildfire, which has evacuation orders and alerts in place south of Golden; the 23,035-hectare Shetland Creek Wildfire, which has alerts and orders in place from about Ashcroft to Spences Bridge; the 637-hectare Aylwin Creek Wildfire, which has orders in place for several communities along the west side of Slocan lake; and the 14,745-hectare Argenta Creek Wildfire, which has alerts and orders in place around Argenta. 

Cooler weather and possible rainfall is forecast for the western half of B.C. Sunday and may reach into parts of the Interior as well. The BC Wildfire Service says winds are also light, which should allow for smoke to settle in the southern Interior and Kootenays.

Environment Canada air quality warnings remain in place for the Kootenays, parts of the Interior around Kamloops and Ashcroft, the Similkameen area around Princeton and southern Vancouver Island. 

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