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Six new wildfires spark in East Kootenay

After firefighters have gained control of five wildfires in our region, six more have sparked across the East Kootenay.

The largest new wildfire is a 15-hectare blaze in the Komma Creek area, southeast of Kianuko Provincial Park. The fire is believed to be caused by a lightning strike.

A 1.1-hectare lightning-caused fire is burning south of Canal Flats on the west side of Kootenay River.

Meanwhile, a 1.5-hectare fire is burning near Akokli Creek, about six kilometers east of Columbia Lake.

All three fires are believed to be caused by lightning.

Three wildfires are burning out of control in the region after they were discovered on Friday.

The largest is in the Gold Mountain area, about 15 kilometres west of Lake Kookanusa.

In the Bill Nye Mountain area, southeast of Wasa, a 0.5-hectare wildfire is burning out of control.

To the south, another out-of-control wildfire is burning near Barkshanty Creek, about a Kilometre and a half east of Moyie Lake. It is estimated to be 0.1 hectares in size.

These fires are also believed to be caused by lightning.

A 1.1-hectare wildfire is under control in the Galloway area after it prompted an Evacuation Order of 46 nearby properties. Officials with the Regional District of East Kootenay said the Order has been lifted and residents can return to their homes, thanks to efforts from firefighters.

More: Evacuation Order for Caithness Mobile Home Park lifted (July 8, 2021) 

North of there, the BC Wildfire Service said a lightning-caused wildfire in the Granite Creek area is now being held. Previous estimates said the fire was 40 hectares in size, but it has since been corrected to about 26 hectares.

A 29-hectare wildfire in the Moyie River area, a 5-hectare wildfire in Dry Creek north of Canal Flats and the 1.5 hectare Bear Creek fire east of Invermere are all under control.

283 wildfires are burning across B.C. as of Saturday evening.

R McCormack
R McCormack
Born and raised in Cranbrook, they graduated from Lethbridge College in 2019. They came back for a practicum position with 2dayFM in Cranbrook, resulting in a job as the Saturday show host before moving into the newsroom. They have covered a wide variety of topics ranging from federal politics to local interest. Their after-hours passion lies in local history, gardening and coin collecting.

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