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Small fire reported south of Cranbrook now out
Here is a wildfire update for Sunday, August 5, for the East Kootenay.
The Sage Creek wildfire east of the Flathead Valley 65 km south of Fernie, discovered August 2, is now at 1,239 hectares
āThis fire is a modified response fire meaning it is managed using a combination of suppression techniques, including direct and indirect attack, and monitoring to steer, contain and otherwise manage fire activity within pre-determined perimeters. This type of response is used to minimizes costs and/or damage and to maximize benefits from the fire,ā BC Wildfire Service reports this morning (August 5)
Effective immediate, the Flathead Sage Creek Forest Service Road is closed starting at the 81-kilometre mark at the junction of Flathead Kishinena Forest Service Road and the Flathead Sage Forest Service Road. No access is permitted on this section of road. This road will remain closed until the public is otherwise notified.
āThis fire is burning in remote terrain. Ground crews and heavy equipment are on site today along with aviation support. Crews are working to reinforce the Flathead Sage Forest Service Road as a guard on the north end of the fire. The south side of the fire is burning upslope and connecting with the fuel break created from the Kenow Mountain wildfire from 2017,ā BCWS outlined. The Kenow fire came close to devastating Waterton Lake National Park and the village.
The fire is producing a large column of smoke that is highly visible from Pincher Creek in Alberta and surrounding areas.Ā Crews are planning for future burn off operations. Expect to see additional smoke from this fire in the coming days.
The Whitetail Creek fire, 17 km east of Spillimacheen, remains active. It is 35% guardedĀ and 25% contained.
āThis fire is classified as out of control. This wildfire does not pose a threat to the Radium Hot Springs or other local communities at this time,ā BCWS said.
Today there is 55 firefighters, five helicoptersĀ and eight pieces of heavy equipmentĀ attacking the fire.
āGround crews and heavy equipment are on site today along with aviation support. Crews are working to continue to build guard to limit growth.
Hand ignition operations will take place to reinforce the guard where appropriate,ā BCWS said.
A fire in the Cross River area, four km from the Kootenay National Park southeastern boundary, is now estimated at 18.5 ha. The fire was discovered August 1.
Across the Columbia River Wetlands and Edgewater on the Purcell Benches, the Akenside Creek wildfire is now an estimated 130 ha in size.
The only new fire to report from yesterday is a .20 ha fire, believed to be person-caused, off Hidden Valley Road that started yesterday afternoon (August 4). The fire is about one km east of Pyatt Lake (pictured above) and 2.5 km south of Cranbrook.
UPDATE: Area residents report the fire is now out.
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