Category Archives: Forest Fires

Operators of a B.C. mountain resort say snow-making machines are being used to defend the village against a growing wildfire.  The Keremeos Creek wildfire, burning more than 2,700 hectares in an area southwest of Penticton, is threatening structures at Apex Mountain Resort. The entire resort village was placed under evacuation order Monday.   …Over the weekend, the resort began using the equipment it had on hand to spray water on buildings and infrastructure to prevent them from catching on fire.  “We’ve put up a line of defence with our snow-making machines,” Shalman said. “We’re one of the few resorts that has snow-making from the top of the mountain to the bottom.”  Shalman explained the machines are essentially “big fan guns blowing water” into the air.

Hundreds of properties in the South Okanagan have been evacuated, and many more have been told to be ready to leave at a moment’s notice, because of the Keremeos Creek wildfire near Penticton. The aggressive fire has grown to 2,790 hectares since it was first spotted a few days ago. More than 300 properties in the Apex Mountain Resort are are under an evacuation order, while another 400 are on alert. “All of Apex Mountain resort is under an evacuation order and everyone has left the premise — it’s only essential people that are there working,” James Shalman, general manager of Apex Mountain Resort, told CityNews Tuesday morning. …The fire has been erratic, aggressive, and tough to fight. The BC Wildfire Service has described it as “vigorous but not organized.” It’s burning about 20 kilometres southwest of Penticton near Apex Mountain Resort. Flames and smoke could be seen on one of the resort’s webcams.

The BC Wildfire Service says a fire burning about 21 kilometres southwest of Penticton saw minimal growth overnight, but low visibility is making it difficult to fight the flames from the air.  The Regional District of Okanagan-Similkameen issued an evacuation order on Saturday for communities in the vicinity of the Keremeos Creek wildfire, which was discovered Friday and was earlier described by the Wildfire Service as displaying “aggressive” and “erratic” behaviour.  The order covers Green Mountain Road between Highway 3A to the south and Apex Mountain Road to the north, as well as the general vicinity of Ford Lake and the north end of Sheep Creek Road.  The Wildfire Service says in an online update Sunday that the fire covers an area of more than four square kilometres, and that personnel conducted patrols and structural protection where necessary throughout the night.

Wildfire season appears to have begun in earnest, with BC Wildfire Service crews deployed to multiple new fires in several parts of the province. Crews were called mid-day to a new fire burning just 7.5 kilometres west of Kamloops on Monday. The Polygon Pond fire was measured at 4.57 hectares in size, and is giving off smoke highly visible from Highway 1, Highway 5 and surrounding areas. …Crews were also called to a pair of remote fires in the Coastal Fire Centre. The lightning-caused Southgate River fire, near the northeastern tip of Bute Inlet in the Sunshine Coast Zone was 208 hectares in size as of Monday afternoon. …In the Kootenays, crews were called to the Briggs Creek fire, about 11.5 kilometres west of Kaslo. The fire had grown to 386 hectares in size by Monday evening, and was “highly vigorous,” the wildfire service said.

Sustained high temperatures throughout British Columbia this week are increasing the potential for wildfires. Residents, travellers and campers should be prepared for wildfire and heat, to have an emergency plan and to stay informed as conditions change. The BC Wildfire Service is closely monitoring these changing conditions and making necessary preparations with strategic aviation and crew placements. Of note is the potential for widespread lightning when the current weather pattern changes. Wildfire prevention is a shared responsibility. Category 2 and Category 3 open fires are prohibited throughout British Columbia. Campfires are currently permitted within the BC Wildfire Service’s jurisdiction. Escaped campfires can lead to human-caused wildfires, but that does not mean a campfire can’t be enjoyed safely. Patrols will be in place on Crown land.

A suspected human-caused wildfire west of Lake Cowichan that was first reported Tuesday evening is now considered under control, the B.C. Wildfire Service says. The fire near Gordon River, called the Gordon Main fire, started at the site of an old logging camp and involved broom and brush. …While the cause has not been determined, the fire is believed to be human-caused. After a cool June, 38 fires are burning in the Coastal Fire Centre zone, which includes all of Vancouver Island, the Lower Mainland and the Sunshine Coast, down significantly from the 145 fires burning at this time last year. The 10-year average is 93. Fourteen new fires have been reported since July 21. The Gordon Main fire is the only wildfire reported on Vancouver Island.

The Mount Hawthorne wildfire, that sparked Tuesday evening, has grown to 1.20 hectares. BC Wildfire alongside local fire departments remain on scene, however, air support has been grounded for the night.  A wildfire sparked on the west side of Okanagan Falls, Tuesday evening.  The blaze started about 5 p.m. after white smoke was seen at the top of Mount Hawthorne.  The BC Wildfire Service said it is fighting the Mount Hawthorne blaze alongside the Kaleden Fire Department.  The fire is estimated to be 0.5 hectares in size and is not threatening homes or impacting highways. There are six firefighters, one officer, two helicopters and air tankers responding.  Air tankers can be seen attacking the fire that appears to be on the top of the mountain.

A wildfire near Nordegg in the western Alberta foothills is now classified as “being held” by the province. The RWF-038 wildfire, located about 19 kilometres west of Nordegg, was first detected Tuesday, July 19, and fire officials said it initially responded well to firefighting efforts. A wildfire is considered “being held” when the blaze is not expected to continue to grow given current weather conditions and resources, according to the Alberta Wildfire Status Dashboard. “Thanks to the hard work of firefighters and support staff, that fire was given a status of ‘being held.’ …The province said that evacuation orders and alerts issued by Clearwater County also remain in place. …Fairweather said firefighters from British Columbia and Quebec have arrived in Alberta to help battle the blazes. …The approximately 70 firefighters from Quebec will be fighting two wildfires in the Lac La Biche area. There are about 90 firefighters from B.C. helping out.

A large wildfire burning near Lytton, B.C., is smaller than was previously believed, but still remains a threat amid a new heat wave. The BC Wildfire Service says new mapping has found the Nohomin Creek fire, burning about 1.7 kilometres northwest of Lytton, is just under 2,200 hectares in size. The fire, which remains classified as ‘out of control,’ had previously been estimated as more than 2,223 hectares in size. “A warming and drying trend will continue to bring hot and dry conditions this week which could cause an increase in fire behavior,” the wildfire service said in a Monday morning update. Environment Canada has issued heat warnings for much of the province, including the Fraser Canyon area, due to a ridge of high pressure expected to stay in place for about a week.

The Southeast Fire Centre is now the most active in the province. Between Thursday and Saturday, more than 20 wildfires were sparked by a series of storms that blew through, bringing lightning and not much precipitation. “So far in the Southeast, we’ve had 23 new starts since Thursday evening,” said fire information officer Kim Wright. “The majority of these starts are mid- to higher-elevation initial attack targets. So they’re smaller fires at the moment.” The fire causing the most concern is east of Nelson, along the Kootenay River. …The fire danger rating in the Southeast Fire Centre is mostly moderate to high with a few pockets of extreme, but hot, dry weather is settling in.

A wildfire burning quite close to Lytton in B.C.’s Southern Interior has remained relatively stable since Monday. On Thursday morning, the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) updated information on the Nohomin Creek blaze, which began last Thursday and quickly grew to 1,500 hectares. On Monday, BCWS mapped the fire at 2,058 hectares, and its size remained the same on Thursday. However, with hot temperatures about to get hotter next week, the weather is concerning. …Though it hasn’t grown in size of late, it’s still considered an out-of-control fire and is just 1.7 kilometres northwest of Lytton, on the west side of the Fraser River. BCWS says the fire’s south, east and north flanks aren’t exhibiting much activity, though the west flank remains active. That last flank is in steep and inoperable terrain.

The Nohomin Creek wildfire near Lytton, B.C., remains out of control, with the western flank of the fire showing the most activity, the BC Wildfire Service says.  The fire, which was sparked last week, is currently mapped at 20.58 square kilometres and BC Wildfire is predicting “potentially volatile” fire conditions during peak burning times as hot and dry weather persists in the days ahead.  Monday’s firefight was challenged by afternoon winds gusting up to 60 km/h, BC Wildfire said, but the containment lines the crews have been building on the south, east and north flanks held up well against them.  A portion of the southern corner on the west flank was more active Monday afternoon and BC Wildfire said helicopters will be bucketing in this area as needed on Tuesday.