8:00 p.m. live briefing: Vancouver turns partly cloudy, B.C. fires spread, Iran strikes deepen

At the 8:00 p.m. PDT cutoff, Environment Canada observed partly cloudy skies at Vancouver International Airport, with a temperature of 18.7°C, south-southwest winds at 11 km/h and visibility of 32 km. The forecast issued at 4:00 p.m. calls for cloud to build near midnight, a 30% chance of drizzle overnight and a low of 15°C. 1

Wildfire activity remained the province's main developing story outside Metro Vancouver. CBC reported that the B.C. Wildfire Service dashboard showed 94 active fires, 78 of them started in the previous 24 hours, with 71 suspected to have been caused by lightning. The same report said more than 4,000 lightning strikes had been recorded by 4:00 p.m. Friday. 2

Seven buildings, including four homes or seasonal cabins, had been destroyed near Boston Bar, according to the Fraser Valley Regional District; officials warned that more losses could be confirmed once crews can safely inspect the area. Evacuation orders were in place around Boston Bar, and Highway 1 had a speed reduction near the Brunswick Creek complex. This area is outside Metro Vancouver. 2

Near Pemberton, CBC reported the Signal Hill wildfire at 0.97 square kilometres, with evacuation alerts covering parts of the Village of Pemberton and the Squamish-Lillooet Regional District. An evacuation order remained in effect for One Mile Lake Park. This is also outside Metro Vancouver. 2

The U.S.-Iran conflict added fresh infrastructure damage. An AP update reported that the United States had expanded its air campaign by hitting more bridges and collapsing a tower at Iran's Chabahar port. AP also reported damage to a Kuwaiti electricity and desalination facility after an Iranian strike. 3

Reuters reported a seventh straight night of U.S. attacks, Iranian strikes on Gulf allies, the boarding of a tanker near the Strait of Hormuz by U.S. Marines and the seizure of another vessel off Yemen. Reuters said the U.S. military called an Iranian report that two tankers had exploded and caught fire false. 4