What you need to know about B.C. wildfires for Aug. 25

The latest on the wildfires:

• As of Wednesdaymorning, 8,612square kilometres of B.C. has burned in 1,551wildfires.
• 3,746properties are covered by evacuation ordersand another11,351by evacuation alerts.
• There are249active wildfires burning in B.C.
• Cooler temperatures continue to slow the growth of B.C.'s most concerning wildfires.
• But Tuesday still saw at least one expanded evacuation order and a new fire close to a community.
• For a full list of evacuation orders and alerts, visitEmergency Information B.C.

With less than a month left to go in the summer, cooler weather is bringing some calmer days on the B.C. wildfire front.

Officials with the B.C. Wildfire Service said Tuesday that "fall-like" conditions have slowed fire growth and allowed crews to make significant progress on some of the province most concerning fires.

By Tuesday night, the wildfire service's fire danger ratingsfor most of the southern half of the province were somewhere between "very low" and "moderate" although almost all of Vancouver Island was rated "high" or "extreme" fire danger.

There have been some other cautionary signs that B.C. isn't out of the woods just yet.

The Okanagan Indian Band issued an expanded evacuation order Tuesday for dozens of properties, warning of"immediate danger to life safety" from the destructive White Rock Lake fire.

And a new wildfire was sparked uncomfortably close to West Kelowna, just three kilometres to the north. The fire led to tactical evacuations of some homes, but by the evening residents were allowed to return home and firefighters were mopping up.

READ MORE:

• The blazes that have scorched Western Canada this summer have incineratedlarge areas of wildlife habitatthat may take many years to recover, an expert says.
• A B.C.engineering professor is warning wildfire-threatened towns could be in the path of future, damaging and deadlylandslides.
• A manager for British Columbia's wildfire service says conditions are trending in the right direction.

Anyoneplacedunderanevacuationordershouldleavetheareaimmediately.

Evacuationcentreshavebeensetupthroughouttheprovincetoassistanyoneevacuatingfrom acommunityunderthreatfrom awildfire.

Tofindthecentreclosesttoyou,visittheEmergencyManagementB.C.website.

Evacuees are encouraged to register withEmergencySupport Servicesonline, whether or not they access services at anevacuationcentre.

Do you have a story to share?

If you've been affected by the B.C. wildfires and want to share your story, emailus atcbcnewsvancouver@cbc.ca.