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Fire danger ratings continue to climb
It’s time to forget about lighting personal fires outside.
The BC Wildfire Service is this morning reporting a rapid growth of extreme and high fire ratings around the province, including in the Southeast Fire Centre, including the East Kootenay.
The majority of the southeastern section of the region (Elk Valley) is now rated as either high or extreme.
The fire danger rating (i.e. the risk of a wildfire starting) for the province is updated daily at approximately 2 pm.
High ratings mean: Forest fuels are very dry and the fire risk is serious. New fires may start easily, burn vigorously, and challenge fire suppression efforts. Extreme caution must be used in any forest activities. Open burning and industrial activities may be restricted.
Extreme ratings mean: Extremely dry forest fuels and the fire risk is very serious. New fires will start easily, spread rapidly, and challenge fire suppression efforts. General forest activities may be restricted, including open burning, industrial activities and campfires.
Meanwhile, lightning is responsible for a string of new fires now burning in the northern reaches of the Southeast Fire Centre, including a .5 ha fire in the Beaverfoot, about 10 km northeast of Spillimacheen.
There is a fire four km northeast of Golden, a .6 ha fire at Frenchman’s Ridge, and a .02 ha fire north of that at Glenogle Creek.
BC Wildfire Service’s Active Wildfire website does not show any active fires anywhere else in the East Kootenay at this time, but a further six fires are burning in the northwestern section of the fire centre.
Learn more from the BC Wildfire Service
