Ammon News - About 300 forest fires have broken out in the Canadian province of British Columbia.

According to the B.C. Wildfire Service dashboard, 283 fires were burning Saturday afternoon, a number that steadily increased during the day. Of those fires, 84 started just in the last 48 hours.

Meteorologist with Environment Canada, Doug Lundquist, said "we’re surrounded from the north to the south and all the way into the U.S.", adding he’s concerned about the unusually early start to the fire season.

At least 64 per cent of the fires burning are believed to have been started by lightning strikes, exacerbated by the tinder-dry conditions, the meteorologist noted, adding "the whole province is just being battered by lightning and it’s just concerning.