New blaze burns north of Connector
Forest fire between Peachland, Merritt among over 475 wildfires burning in B.C.
A forest fire broke out Thursday afternoon about eight kilometres north of the Okanagan Connector highway between Peachland and Merritt.
The fire was burning aggressively on Gottfriedsen Mountain, about 24 kilometres west of the City of West Kelowna.
No structures were immediately threatened, the BC Wildfire Service said at 3:45 p.m.
The service said it was responding with ground crews, air support and heavy equipment.
By 5:15 p.m., the fire had grown to 100 hectares, and the BC Wildfire Service said it was expected to grow further.
More than 475 wildfires were burning across B.C. on Thursday, with evacuation orders and alerts in place for each of the province’s six fire centres.
A total of 1,565 fires have been recorded so far this year, well above the average of 1,130 expected by this point in the season, BC Wildfire Service spokesman Ryan Turcot said.
But the burned area is only about 75 per cent of average for mid-August, he said.
In the Similkameen Valley, the Snowy Mountain wildfire south of Keremeos appeared poised to cross the Canada-U.S. border.
As of Thursday, the out-of-control fire was 12,039 hectares in size and 40 per cent contained.
According to BC Wildfire Service information commander Claire Allen, the fire remains west of Chopaka Road but is burning toward the south approximately three kilometres from the U.S. border.
“Ground crews continue to face difficult topography. Firefighters are being strategically placed where it is safe,” said Allen. “The presence of rattlesnakes in the area brings further challenges to crews.”
The BC Wildfire Service team assigned to the Snowy Mountain fire is working with the U.S. Forest Service, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources.
Lee McFadyen lives near the Snowy Mountain fire.
“It’s been stressful watching it come down the mountain. A flood plain separates me and the fire, but I still have a bag packed just in case,” she said.
Neighbours are in constant contact with each other about the fire’s activity.
“Helicopters are still working, dropping water in one deep gully this morning (Thursday),” said McFadyen.
A total of 106 firefighters and seven pieces of heavy equipment are on the scene. Eleven helicopters are battling the Snowy Mountain and nearby Placer Mountain fires. The Placer Mountain fire, which was also started by lightning on July 17, is now 90 per cent contained.
In the Central Okanagan, the Goode’s Creek fire, in Okanagan Mountain Provincial Park, has been removed from BC Wildfire Service’s “Wildfires of Note” page. Discovered on July 17, the fire grew to 1,370 hectares. It was classified as “under control” on Aug. 4, and the Okanagan fire complex has been rerouting resources to other fires in the area.
Four major fires are burning east of Vernon: Harris Creek FSR, Proctor Road, Sugar Mountain and Mabel Creek.
A total of 31 firefighters are battling the out-of-control fire at Harris Creek FSR, 16 kilometres southeast of Lumby.
At Proctor Road, 16 kilometres northeast of Lumby, a 52-hectare fire is being held. Crews are making excellent progress with containment, the wildfire service says.
The fire at Sugar Mountain is classified as out of control. Current sizes for many fires in the area have been difficult to estimate because of heavy smoke.
An estimated 200-hectare fire at Mabel Creek is zero per cent contained. An area restriction was put on the Crown land around Mabel Lake on Aug. 4.
Air quality has improved slightly across the Okanagan, dropping from a six to a five on the 10-point Air Quality Health Index scale. Four to six is classified as moderate, calling for people to decrease outdoor activity if they feel symptoms.
With hundreds of fires burning across the province, firefighters from around the world have arrived to help out. There are now fire crews from Alberta, the Northwest Territories, Saskatchewan, New Zealand and Australia. On Monday, 62 firefighters arrived from Mexico. They have joined more than 2,700 personnel currently engaged in the province’s wildfire response.