STORY: New wildfires broke out in Western Canada and forests continued to burn in Ontario as Canada battled what Prime Minister Mark Carney called one of the most intense wildfire seasons on record.

Nearly 34,000 lightning strikes over the past week led to a series of fires and evacuation orders in the southern part of British Columbia. Eyewitness footage shot on Thursday (July 23) showed large columns of smoke blowing by the ridges of Mount Currie.

As of Friday morning (July 24), there were 25 evacuation orders and 90 active wildfires in the province, which warned that warming and drying conditions could lead to growth of existing wildfires.

Reuters confirmed the location from the shape of mountains which matched topography mapping of the area. Location and date of the footage were also verified by original file metadata.

Wildfires fueled by intense heat and lightning attributed to warmer temperatures have burned remote forests across Canada this summer. Last week, smoke drifted to major U.S. East Coast and Midwestern cities.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

SHOWS: MOUNT CURRIE, BRITISH COLUMBIA, CANADA (JULY 23, 2026) (KIKA7 SAMPSON - No Resales / No Archive / Must on-screen courtesy Kika7 Sampson) (MUTE)

1. EYEWITNESS FOOTAGE OF LARGE PLUMES OF SMOKE COMING FROM A MOUNTAINSIDE