Canada is seeing its worst fire season in decades, with close to 400 fires burning in the provinces of British Columbia and Alberta. Averse weather conditions -- high temperatures and gusting winds -- look set to continue.

Premier Gordon Campbell declared a province-wide state of emergency in hardest-hit British Columbia Saturday. At the time 353 active fires were burning on some 38,000 hectares (94,000 acres), his government said in a statement.

"Our hearts go out to the thousands of local residents who have been forced to evacuate their homes and communities while they wait to learn the true extent of how these fires will ultimately affect their families, friends and neighbors," Campbell said in a statement.

The tally included 25 new fires started in the past 24 hours, the statement said.

Major fires in British Columbia were in the region of Kamloops, roughly 300 kilometers (200 miles) northeast of Vancouver, and Chilko Lake, about 300 kilometers to the north.

"Smoke from the Chilko Lake fire can now be smelled and seen 300 kilometers away," the statement said.

About 8,500 people were forced to evacuate their homes in and around Kamloops, a city of 77,000, reports said.

Fire destroyed 60 homes in the town of Barriere, north of Kamloops, Friday.

A 53-year-old man from Barriere was taken to hospital in Vancouver Saturday with burns to his face and upper body, after his clothes caught fire while he helped a neighbor hose down his house, the Globe and Mail reported.

Another 1,000 people were ordered out of the town of Hillcrest in southwestern Alberta. Some 2,700 residents of nearby Blairmore were told to be ready to flee with one hour's notice, as fire raged within three kilometers (one-and-a-half miles) of their community, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) reported.

Both towns were threatened by a massive blaze burning in Crowsnest Pass, approximately 16,000 hectares (39,000 acres) in size, according to a notice posted by the government of Alberta.

In total, 40 fires were burning in Alberta Saturday, 11 of them out of control, the statement said.

"With conditions remaining extremely dry and volatile, I'm urging everyone to accept direction from local authorities, and take extreme caution to prevent further fires," Campbell said.

TERRA.WIRE