Lightning sparks more wildfires in already busy fire season

Recent thunderstorms have added to the already large number of wildfires burning in our region.

Twenty-nine new fires were sparked over the long weekend.

Horsethief Creek Fire 

This fire was last mapped at 1,975 hectares.

A prescribed burn took place over the weekend along the northwestern flank of the fire.

Crews used a mix of aerial and hand ignitions.

The BC Wildfire Service will now be working on mop-up in the Bruce drainage.

An evacuation alert is still in effect for 26 dwellings in the Lake Enid, Bear Mountain and Horsethief Creek Areas.

The fire is believed to have been sparked by lightning and was discovered on July 24.

Yearling Creek Fire

The Yearling Creek blaze is an estimated 1,749 hectares.

The BC Wildfire Service is reminding residents that the airspace over the fire is off-limits.

On Aug. 2, a personal drone was seen within the restricted airspace of the Yearling Creek wildfire in dangerous proximity to crews.

Anyone found interfering with wildfire control efforts, including the flying of drones could be hit with up to a year in jail or a $100,000 fine.

Lladnar Creek Fire

The Lladnar Creek blaze has been remapped and is now around 945

The fire has seen a little bit of rain over the past couple of days.

Crews said there has been no growth and fire behaviour has reduced throughout the site.

Crews are finalizing a hand guard north of Cummings Creek where heavy equipment could not access and crews are establishing a fuel-free hand guard that will tie the Lladnar Creek into the Elk River.

All evacuation orders and alerts remain in place.

Other regional wildfires

• The Mia Creek wildfire northeast of Canal Flats has grown to 2,301 hectares as of Monday.
  • The fire was sparked by a lightning strike on July 24.
  • An area restriction around the fire has been put in place.
• The Kamma Creek wildfire west of Moyie Lake is burning across 658 hectares of forest.
  • The fire was first spotted on July 20 and is believed to have been caused by a lightning strike.
  • An area restriction has been put in place around the fire.
• The North Lodgepole Creek wildfire northeast of Elko has grown to 10 hectares but is now considered being held.
  • The fire was caused by lightning and was first spotted on July 30.
• The Lum Creek wildfire is believed to be 494 hectares and was spotted northeast of Fort Steele.
  • It was also reported on July 30 and is believed to be caused by lightning.
• The St. Mary River fire remains at 4,640 Hectares and has been downgraded to being held.

There are a plethora of other fires in our region. All up to date fire information can be found on the BC Wildfire Service map.