©BCWildfireService

The Matthew Creek wildfire west of Kimberley has grown by a few hundred hectares following increased fire behaviour on July 22, as plans for a low-intensity ignition on the fire’s eastern flank were scrapped. The blaze is now estimated at 869 hectares, driven by warmer temperatures, strengthening winds, and an abundance of dead and receptive fuels that combined to create conditions more conducive to fire growth. …The City of Kimberley and rural properties in the St. Mary’s Lake area remain on an evacuation alert. An incident command team has been assigned to manage the Bootleg complex, which includes the Matthews Creek and Tower Creek wildfires. …Resources assigned to the fire include 35 firefighting personnel, seven helicopters, 18 pieces of heavy equipment and 21 structure protection personnel.