There has been one big advantage to the cool, wet weather in Manitoba this year -- a sharp drop in the number of forest fires.
There have been 130 fires so far this year, the lowest number in recent memory and less than half the average over the last 20 years.
Gary Friesen, manager of the province's fire program, says below-normal temperatures and a steady rainfall in northern areas have kept the forests from becoming dry.
Friesen says he has to look as far back as 1986 to find a comparable year.
With fewer fires in the province, Manitoba has been able to send 42 firefighters to help battle blazes near Kelowna, B.C. that forced 11,000 people to flee their homes.
