While the St. Mary’s River wildfire north of Cranbrook is now being held, other wildfires in the region have also sprung up and are producing significant amounts of smoke.
Smoke has noticeably been drifting from the southwest into Cranbrook, as the Kamma Creek wildfire approximately 27 kilometres west of Moyie Lake has doubled in size and is now burning at 658 hectares as of Monday (Aug. 7) morning.
It is burning in a remote area and is not threatening any structures or communities, while an area restriction barring public access to the fire’s vicinity has been implemented, according to the BC Wildfire Service.
It was discovered on July 19 and is suspected to be lightning-caused.
Meanwhile, the Lum Creek wildfire near Fisher Peak also continues to grow, with highly visible plumes of smoke during peak burning hours.
That wildfire was discovered on July 30 and is currently estimated at approximately 500 hectares, also suspected to be lightning-caused.
No structures or communities are being threatened, however, the BC Wildfire Service is monitoring the fire’s growth and behaviour with daily flights.
An area restriction barring access to the fire’s vicinity has also been implemented by the BC Wildfire Service.
East of Elko, the North Lodgepole Creek wildfire is burning at an estimated 10 hectares. Detected on July 31, it is suspected to be lightning-caused.
Heading up into the Columbia Valley, three large wildfires continue to burn in the Invermere and Radium Hot Springs areas.
An Incident Management Team has taken control of responding to the Horsethief Creek, Yearling Creek and Mia Creek wildfires, which are highly visible to area residents in the Rocky Mountain Trench.
The Horsethief Creek wildfire is now mapped at approximately 3,904 hectares as of Monday morning, as fire response resources include over 100 ground firefighters, structure protection specialists and 11 pieces of heavy equipment.
Additionally 10 helicopters are being shared between the three fires in the Horsethief Creek Complex.
It was discovered on July 24 and is suspected to be lightning-caused.
As of the latest update on Monday morning, fire crews completed a burn along the Neave drainage on Aug. 4. Pending weather conditions, aerial ignitions may be utilized to extend the burn.
A second aerial ignition is also being planned along the Bruce drainage area to the northwest of the fire.
An evacuation order remains in place for one dwelling in the Bear Mountain area, while 26 dwellings are on evacuation alert.
An area restriction barring public access to the fire’s vicinity has also been issued by the BC Wildfire Service.
To the east of Radium Hot Springs, the Yearling Creek wildfire is burning at an estimated 2,876 hectares.
It was discovered on July 9 and is suspected to be lightning-caused.
An evacuation order was downgraded to an evacuation alert for the Nipika Mountain Resort, Cross River Education and Retreat Centre, and the Cross River Canyon Recreation Site.
The Mia Creek wildfire is also burning 17 kilometres northeast of Canal Flats at an estimated 2,301 hectares.
Also discovered on July 24, it is suspected to be lightning-caused.
Crews are working on widening the White Moscow Rd. to improve access for ground personnel, while work is ongoing to construct staging areas and helipads.
Equipment is beginning construction of a new guard from Mt. Glen to Mia Creek and preparing for more guard construction on the southeast corner of the fire.
Over the last few days, the BC Wildfire Service has put out a few warnings about private drone operations in and around some regional wildfires. If a drone is in the air, BC Wildfire Service aircraft can’t safely operate in the area, and drone operators can face significant penalties and fines.
