VANCOUVER - British Columbia's forests minister says even though cooler temperatures and precipitation have helped crews get the upper hand on wildfires, the province is not out of the woods just yet.
Pat Bell says a heat wave is in the forecast and even a short dry spell could wreak havoc since fire conditions remain volatile across the province.
Bell is reminding British Columbians that in 2003, when wildfires destroyed more than 200 homes, the bulk of fire activity took place at the end of August.
The 2009 wildfire season has seen firefighters battle more than 2,400 blazes at a cost of $187 million.
Bell says the wildfires have spanned about 1,240 square kilometres and just over 600 fires continue to burn.
He says provincial fire officials will continue to enforce campfire bans and issued 43 tickets last week alone.
