Thousands of lightning strikes
Last night’s spectacular lightning storm left spectators in awe and left behind over 2,600 lighting strikes, the BC Wildfire Service says.
“That was the count before midnight. We’re expecting more reports as the day goes on,” said fire information officer Taylor Colman, who identified three new fires overnight in the Kamloops Fire Centre.
“There was some precipitation received so that changes things,” she said, of the relatively low number.
“They may not ignite or put up smoke until the daytime temperature increases.”
Strikes from last night’s storm add to those from another storm two days earlier, Colman said.
“Since Aug. 10 we have had 27 new fires, 17 caused by lighting, only two human caused and the rest undetermined. Of the lightning caused fires, only eight are still burning.”
Colman said at this time of year it can take up to three days for fires caused by lighting to burst into flames.
“Its so hot they flare up quickly. We call them holdover fires and they don’t go out on their own, at least not with the coming heat and temperatures,” Colman said.
More lightning strikes are expected over the next two days as more storms track through the area, Colman added.
“The western part of the Kamloops Fire Centre is where the activity is expected to occur,” Colman said. “There is some risk around Kamloops, Merritt, Vernon and Penticton which could see some activity.”
The 2022 fire season in the Okanagan has been relatively quiet with only the massive Keremeos Creek fire southwest of Penticton causing evacuation orders and alerts.