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The number of active wildfires in British Columbia has dropped sharply to about 400 as cooler weather and recent rain has cut the fire risk, but another hot spell could wipe out those gains as large sections of the province wilt under severe drought.

While the total cost of these disasters has not been fully realized yet, they've already caused billions of dollars worth of damage.

VANCOUVER — A wildfire in southeastern British Columbia that was first spotted Monday afternoon has charred nine square kilometres and is threatening more than 1,000 properties, including a ski resort, west of Invermere.

British Columbia rancher Suzanne Fradette had just got off the phone with a hay broker who had grim news amid an ongoing drought that has sent feed prices soaring: "It's bad out there.

СÀ¶ÊÓƵ's changing climate and diverse landscape have made it a hotspot for destructive wildfires. After several devastating fire seasons, is the province learning to cope with what's coming?

VANCOUVER — The manager of an evacuated resort near the Ross Moore Lake wildfire in British Columbia's Interior said he could not believe how fast the fire grew over the weekend.

NASA astronauts installed additional mirrors to compensate for the flaws in 1993 and upgraded other scientific instruments on five different occasions, with the last upgrade being in 2009.

The effects of some of these weather events have lingered for decades, as rebuilding can be costly, inefficient, and time-consuming.

Family, friends and fellow firefighters paid tribute to a 19-year-old woman killed while battling wildfires in British Columbia earlier this month, describing her as hard-working, reliable and positive.

Regular grooming is one way to keep them cool.