Winds are likely to be a key factor in the battle to save the town of Osoyoos in southern British Columbia from raging wildfires, but the latest forecasts offer some hope.

The Canadian Ministry of the Environment is relying on northwest winds throughout the day before gusts of 20 kilometers per hour calm later in the day.

The British Columbia Wildfire Service says this will help push the approximately nine-square-kilometer Eagle Bluff wildfire away from Osoyoos, following less than two days since the flames broke out in Washington State across the Canadian-American border on Saturday evening.

The Wildfire Service noted that although the fire is still out of control, it did not grow overnight as crews closely monitored its eastern flank, closest to Osoyoos.

About 700 properties in the area west of Osoyoos remain under evacuation orders, while 2,000 other properties, including the entire town of Osoyoos, are on evacuation alert.

The Wildfire Service reported more than 350 active wildfires across British Columbia, with just under 200 classified as out of control and 14 categorized as notable fires that are either highly visible or pose potential public safety threats.

The battle to protect Osoyoos comes at a time when the rating for wildfire risk has dropped sharply in recent weeks due to rain and chilly weather across most of British Columbia, except for the southern and southeastern corners.

This prompted officials at the Prince George Fire Centre, which represents the northeastern quarter of the province, to announce plans to lift the ban on burning in that area, but the decision was reversed shortly after.

The Wildfire Service said in a social media post on Sunday, "After further review and with the wildfire season experienced in British Columbia, we have made the decision that the Category 1 ban will remain in effect."

The post added, "The decision to implement or lift the campfire ban is science-based, but with continued high levels of activity across the province, we want to ensure that all wildfire personnel are responding to the current and potential wildfires that are naturally caused."

Elsewhere, a firefighter was killed before the weekend while battling the massive Donny Creek fire in northeastern British Columbia, marking the second such fatality this month in the province and the fourth in Canada during a record wildfire season.

Police said the contracted firefighter from Ontario died after his heavy vehicle rolled over on a steep gravel road.

The death came just two weeks after 19-year-old Devin Gill, who was in her third season as a wildland firefighter, was killed when a falling tree struck her while working on a blaze near her hometown of Revelstoke, British Columbia.