After being quiet for three or four weeks, the Churn Creek Protected Area wildfire flexed its muscles Wednesday, Aug 4, escaping on the northwest section and burning an estimated 1,500 hectares.
Madison Smith, fire information officer with the Cariboo Fire Centre, BC Wildfire Service, said crews had been monitoring it going out there checking on it every few days by helicopter.
“Then yesterday, I don’t know if it was with the winds or dry weather, I’m not sure, but it took off on us and pushed toward the northwest.”
Firefighting crews on the ground had to leave in the evening due to a nearby forest service road being compromised, she added.
A fire officer is on location Thursday morning to view the area by helicopter and doing an assessment to plan what to do moving forward.
The Churn Creek Protection Area wildfire was first discovered on July 2 and now measures 2,478 hectares.
Smith said the Big Stick Lake fire in the Chilcotin has low fire behaviour Thursday morning.
A small amount of rain fell in the area and poor visibility impacted aerial observations.
“Crews continue to work on the southern flank of the fire to locate any hot spots,” she added.
READ MORE: Evacuation alerts lifted in parts of region
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