Residents of Fort Nelson, B.C., are urged to evacuate immediately due to a rapidly escalating wildfire, exacerbated by high winds and continuous drought conditions.

As of Tuesday, there were 299 wildfires burning in B.C., with 40 evacuation orders affecting approximately 5,724 people (2,862 properties), in addition to 69 evacuation alerts impacting approximately 32,076 people (16,038 properties).

Due to a mild winter and warmer year, this wildfire season is looking to be worse, not better, than the last