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UPDATE: Lightning-sparked fires near Telkwa High Road extinguished

Three small forest fires near Telkwa High Road ignited by a lightning storm on Thursday are now fully extinguished.

Three small forest fires, southeast of Smithers, near Telkwa High Road are extinguished.

"All three spot fires southeast of Smithers are now fully extinguished and officially 'out,'"

Fire Information Officer with Northwest Fire Centre, Lindsay Carnes said.

The Northwest Fire Centre has responded to 20 forest fires since last Wednesday, 19 of which were ignited by lightning.

Airtankers dropped fire retardant over three small fires burning southeast of Smithers near the Telkwa High Road and ground crews are on the ground worked to contain and extinguish the fires.

The largest fire, just south of the Yukon border, reached about 1.4 hectares in size.

With a forecast calling for more hot weather and potentially more lightning storms, the Northwest Fire Centre repositioned an airtanker in Smithers and brought in two additional firefighting crews and a helicopter from Salmon Arm.

Patrol planes will fly out today to detect any unreported lightning fires.

The fire centre would like to thank the public for reporting smoke and wildfire, noting that early fire detection increases the chance of success.

To report a wildfire or unattended campfire, call *5555 on your cell phone or 1-800-663-5555 toll-free.

The Northwest Fire Centre is also reminding the public that the prohibition of open burning is still in place.

Campfires are still allowed, but campers are required to keep their campfires small and leave them only when the ashes are cold to the touch.

For the latest information on fire activity, conditions and prohibitions, visit the Wildfire Management Branch website: www.bcwildfire.ca.

You can also follow the latest wildfire news on Twitter at http://twitter.com/BCGovFireInfo or on Facebook at http://facebook.com/BCForestFireInfo.