Motorists travel on the Sea-to-Sky highway between Horseshoe Bay and Lions Bay, B.C., on April 23, 2021. The Canadian Press/Darryl Dyck
A community in the northern coastal area of Metro Vancouver has issued an evacuation alert as a lightning storm over the weekend touched off new wildfires across the region.
The Village of Lions Bay says the alert covers about 30 properties on the eastern edge of the community and that residents must be prepared to leave on short notice.
A wildfire is burning out of control southeast of the village.
More than 7,000 lightning strikes were recorded across B.C. over the weekend.
The BC Wildfire Service says about 60 new fires were started in the last 24 hours.
There are about 180 active blazes in the province, and about 35 percent are considered out of control.
Four major wildfires of note are still burning in the B.C. Interior near Summerland, Boston Bar and Clinton.
