Southeast Fire Centre responding to 18 active wildfires
By Nelson Daily Staff
Crews responding to new fires in Southeast Fire Centre
Southeast Fire Centre is asking the public to be extra cautious as hot, dry conditions continue to plague the region.
Karlie Shaughnessy, Fire Information Officer for the Southeast Fire Centre said in a media release Thursday BC Wildfire Service personnel are responding to 18 active wildfires in the region.
“Although some wildfires are visible from surrounding communities, none of these fires is immediately threatening communities or structures,” Shaughnessy explained.
“Due to the remote location of some of these wildfires, a "modified response" strategy is being used where appropriate,” Shaughnessy added. “This means that BC Wildfire Service personnel carefully monitor the fire's activity to ensure that it remains within a specific area and meets land management guidelines.”
The Southeast Fire Centre said three of these modified response wildfires are located in the Kootenay Fire Zone and Arrow Lake Fire Zone:
- A 70-hectare wildfire is burning on Winter's Peak in the Purcell Wilderness Conservancy Provincial Park and Protected Area on the northeast side of Kootenay Lake. Although this wildfire is burning in a remote area at a high elevation, smoke from this fire is visible from the communities of Kaslo, Argenta, Johnsons Landing and surrounding areas.
- Smoke from a 70-hectare wildfire burning on the west side of Duncan Lake in the Glacier Creek area may be visible from Duncan Lake and the Meadow Creek region.
- A one-hectare wildfire is burning in extremely rough terrain five kilometres northeast of Galena Bay (in the Mackenzie Creek area). Due to potential danger to first responders, this fire will be closely monitored.
- There is an active nine hectare wildfire west of Slocan near Hoder Creek.
Shaughnessysaid the Southeast Fire Centre is currently experiencing very dry conditions and elevated fire danger ratings.
“The fire danger rating is "high" to "extreme" throughout the region,” Shaughnessy said.
“The BC Wildfire Service reminds the public that campfires are prohibited throughout the Southeast Fire Centre and urges the public to abide by these restrictions to reduce the number of human-caused wildfires, which can divert critical resources from naturally occurring wildfires.”
The Southeast Fire Centre said from April 1 to July 20, 2017, the Southeast Fire Centre has responded to 131 wildfires that have burned 286 hectares. Ninety-one of these fires were caused by lightning, while the remaining 40 were human-caused. Last year on this day, a total of 49 fires had burned 316 hectares.
The Southeast Fire Centre extends from the U.S. border in the south to the Mica Dam in the north and from the Okanagan Highlands and Monashee Mountains in the west to the B.C.-Alberta border in the east. The Southeast Fire Centre includes the Selkirk Natural Resource District and the Rocky Mountain Natural Resource District.