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Two out of control wildfires in central BC have put a number of communities on evacuation alert. The BC Wildfire Service says the Dripping Water wildfire discovered on Thursday 600 kilometres north of Vancouver has now reached over 200 hectares. Meanwhile, the Lost Valley Road wildfire over 400 kilometres northeast of Vancouver discovered on Saturday has now reached over 100 hectares. Both fires have triggered evacuation alerts for nearby communities, where officials are recommending that residents plan escape routes, secure emergency accommodations and be ready to leave on short notice.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has confirmed it has discovered the presence of highly pathogenic avian flu, better known as H5N1, at a commercial poultry operation in BC. The agency says it will now set up additional primary control zones as needed around the infected zone, currently centred around the communities of Yarrow and Barrowtown 90 kilometres east of Vancouver. Since an outbreak began in 2022, H5N1 has forced farms in BC and across Canada to cull millions of birds when an infection is found. In March, BC’s Ministry of Agriculture says it found eight dead skunks in Vancouver and nearby Richmond, BC, that tested positive for H5N1.

Rising water levels prompted by warmer weather have triggered a number of flood watches and advisories around B-C, with one community issuing an evacuation order. The Village of Cache Creek, nearly 350 kilometres northeast of Vancouver, has issued an evacuation order for a single property along the Trans Canada Highway due to an “existing or imminent” threat of flooding. Meanwhile, the province has issued high streamflow advisories in east and west Kootenay, Kettle and Granby rivers’ tributaries, as well as the Upper and Middle Fraser regions and the South Interior. A flood watch also remains in place for the Lower Thompson and Nazko rivers.

Vancouver firefighters responding to a blaze on the downtown eastside say they have found the body of a man at the site of the fire. Vancouver Fire Rescue Services say they responded to a fire Saturday at 9:30 pm on Dunlevy Avenue, in the back of the Asian Canadian Benevolent Association building. Police say they found the body of a 50-year-old man in the electrical room in the parking lot, where the fire is believed to have started accidentally. The Asian Canadian Benevolent Association says the man who may have been living in the room was not associated with the organization.

Warm weather in BC is tapering off after abnormally high temperatures set new records in several communities over the weekend. Environment and Climate Change Canada says Saturday saw historic high temperatures in places like Kamloops, Kelowna and Prince George, reaching almost 32 degrees in some cases. The warm temperatures come a day after records were broken on Friday in cities like Victoria and Abbotsford. Temperatures Sunday afternoon have fallen below 28 degrees, with rain in the forecast Monday for several interior cities.