FORT ST. JOHN -- Extreme wind over the weekend has led to over twenty new fire starts in northeastern B.C.

According to the Prince George Fire Centre, there have been 22 new wildfires with a majority of them in the Fort Nelson zone. Of the 22, there were five near Fort St. John, four near Dawson Creek and three near Vanderhoof.

The fire centre says many of them were not of concern. Crews have conducted the initial attack and they continue to be monitored.

The fire centre says there was also an increase in smoke across the region due to the high winds.

Fire crews are expecting calmer fire activity with cooler temperatures and the forecasted rain for the next couple of days. The rainfall is expected to be minimal about five to 10 millimetres, which could decrease any fire activity. However, they are expecting the Peace Region to enter a warming and drying trend on Thursday.

Currently, there are 136 active fires across the region with the majority of them being in the Fort Nelson, Vanderhoof and Fort St. James areas.