Canada

Wildfire crews are battling an out-of-control wildfire in central British Columbia — one of seven human-caused blazes reported in the Cariboo region on Saturday afternoon.

The Burgess Creek fire has ballooned overnight, growing from 0.5 square kilometres to 16 square kilometres in size on Sunday. It is burning about 50 kilometres south of Quesnel, a city about 415 kilometres northeast of Vancouver.

The other six fires reported in the Cariboo fire centre on Saturday are all either out, under control or being held, according to BCWS. The human activities suspected of causing the fires are unknown and will be investigated, Dahl added.

"That's in large part thanks to the efforts of volunteer fire departments both in Quesnel and Williams Lake," said Dahl.

But Dahl said it is still "a lot of wildfires to respond to" in one day, let alone so early in the spring.