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Fresh fires but better news on the wildfire fighting front
A little bit of rain and more good news on the wildfire fighting front in the East Kootenay today.
The 1,550-hectare wildfire in the White River drainage is now 50% contained, reported the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) this morning (August 14).
“Crews conducted a successful burn-off operation. This fire is now being monitored,” BCWS said.
The lightning caused fire, discovered July 29, is about 40 kilometres east of Fairmont Hot Springs.
Public access to the White-Middle Fork Forest Service Road is still prohibited at the 45.5 kilometre point. The Lands Manager of the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District ordered the road closure due to concerns about public safety.
The Island Pond fire, 12 km south of Canal Flats, is now 100% contained, though the fire is still 1,073 ha.
A 78-person crew is now working on mop-up efforts.
The Regional District of East Kootenay’s evacuation alert for the Island Pond and Sheep Creek areas has been rescinded.
Three new fires are reported this morning, including a .02 ha lightning-caused fire in the Fording River area, about 10 km east of Elkford, and a .01 ha fire person-caused fire in Forster Creek drainage (the Village of Radium Hot Springs’ watershed), 25 km northwest of Wilmer.
And the most recently reported fire is on Mount Erickson, about nine km east of Sparwood. The suspected cause of the .16 ha fire remains unknown.
A lightning-caused fire reported August 12 in the upper reaches of Kianuko Creek, 24 km north of Kitchener is at one ha in size.
The only fire still burning near Moyie Lake, from the four that started August 7, is the Lamb Creek wildfire, still at about 20 ha.
The Grave Creek wildfire, northwest of Whiteswan Lake Provincial Park, started by lightning on August 8, remains active at 425 ha.
The Quinn Creek fire west of Top of the World Provincial Park, started by lightning on August 10, is at 10 ha in size.
The lightning-started fire in White Creek, northwest of Kimberley, remains active at 30 ha in size.
The Verdant Creek wildfire in Kootenay National Park and Mount Assiniboine Provincial Park continues to burn and is being actively managed by Parks Canada.
“The fire does not directly threaten any local communities or the Bow and Columbia valleys. Crews are working directly on the fire’s edge on the north to suppress the fire and continue to work to contain the spread of the fire in proximity to Highway 93,” Parks Canada reports.
In total there are 10 wildfires burning in the East Kootenay.
Lead image: The Lamb Creek wildfire earlier this week. Photo by Linda Botterill
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