A 450-hectare wildfire that started in Montana has burned across the Canada/U.S. border and into the East Kootenay.
According to BC Wildfire Service officials, about 250 hectares of the Weasel Creek fire is north of the border.
The fire was discovered in Canada on Thursday and is in the forest east of Roosville.
Elsewhere, the Connell Ridge wildfire, about 15 kilometres south of Cranbrook, has grown to about 1,143 hectares as of Friday morning.
On Thursday evening, the BC Wildfire Service implemented an area restriction in the zone surrounding the fire.
The only people allowed in the zone are those with a signed authorization form, people travelling to or from their property as long as it is not under an evacuation order, people travelling in an official capacity or firefighters and other support staff.
You can find a map of the impacted area through the link below.
More: Area restrictions implemented around Connell Ridge wildfire (Aug 4, 2022)
On Tuesday, the Regional District of East Kootenay enacted an evacuation alert for six properties near the fire. The situation remains unchanged, as of Friday morning.
More details about other fires in the East Kootenay, according to the BC Wildfire Service (BCWS) can be found below.
New
- Gilnockie Provincial Park – one-hectare fire in the wilderness east of Yahk. It was discovered on Thursday and believed to be caused by a lightning strike.
- Beaver Creek – 0.01-hectare blaze just north of Crawford Bay. BCWS officials said it was person-caused, and discovered on Thursday.
Out of control
- Cummings Creek – An update to the mapping of the fire northwest of Sparwood shows that it is about 10 hectares in size. BCWS officials say the fire is burning in steep, inoperable terrain for the time being. Officials said the fire does not pose any immediate threat to any structures. It is believed to be lightning-caused.
- Stair Lake – A 40-hectare fire is burning in the area northwest of Kimberley. It was discovered on Sunday and is believed to be lightning-caused.
- Mount Docking – a three-hectare fire in the mountains east of Radium Hot Springs. It was discovered on Saturday, and believed to be lightning-caused.
Being held
- Six Mile Creek – BCWS officials said the fire is being held at 57 hectares.